Youtube find of the week – XXXI – Willy Astor (Original)

Discover one of my childhood heros, Willy Astor. Find an easy introduction to his phantastic work on the guitar and with this the incredible and huge favour he's been doing to the public.

GulleMan 16. January 2026

I have been following Willy for as long as I can think. He started out his career as a stand-up comedian, but has always worked in parallel on his guitar skills and has composed original songs.

Today I am admiring him for his beautiful songs and immaculate performances of said songs. His playing skills have reached astronomical levels and are (imho) unheard of.

Maybe I am exaggerating this a little bit….? But aye, that’s what fanboys do!

Do yourself a favour and have a listen to Mr. Astor.

Beware: the video quality is beyond aweful, but this isn’t what this video is all about. So ignore the looks, and just listen.

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/UPX0rvsQ-4I?si=txsbaFy0C_oRyJgM

Why Willy Astor matters so much

Since Willy Astor is mainly self-taught, he has always been encouraging me to keep learning and working on my own guitar skills. Although I have never had a official guitar lesson, I think I might meanwhile pass the backpacker’s guitar exam 😉

So this is my way to say “Dankschön” to Willy for inspiring me for all this time. Thanks Bro!

Short Bio – Willy Astor

Willy Astor (born 1961) is one of those rare Bavarian artists who can make you laugh hard with language… and then, two minutes later, shut the whole room up with seriously good guitar playing.

Most people in Germany know him first as a comedian and wordplay guy (think puns, sound-alikes, and that Karl Valentin / Heinz Erhardt kind of “wait, what did he just do to that sentence?”). But the musician side is not a side quest. He’s a legit, self-taught guitarist and composer, and he’s been weaving music into his shows forever.

If you’ve ever heard the FC Bayern anthem “Stern des Südens”: yep, that’s his composition.

And if you want the calm, instrumental side of him, check out his “Sound of Islands” albums on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/2dbIBn1smBwsgZG0Sk3jrV

In short: Willy’s not just funny. He’s one of those people who prove that self-taught + stubborn practice can turn into real artistry.