Peanuts In My Pocket

I learned today that YouTuber Adam the Woo passed away. He was 51. The cause is unknown at this time. I’m devastated.

Even though I never met him, I watched hundreds of hours of his videos over the years. I thought of him as a modern version of Huell Howser, or maybe Mr. Rogers on the move. He was just a big, friendly guy with a video camera. His videos were meditative. I watched them to relax and unwind, even though I never shared his deep love of Disney or theme parks.

Adam the Woo, whose real name was David Adam Williams, built a long-running and deeply personal YouTube career by turning curiosity, nostalgia, and persistence into a daily storytelling habit. After early years immersed in punk rock and underground culture, he pivoted to video blogging in the late 2000s. He first gained attention exploring abandoned places and forgotten corners of Americana, then found a larger audience through theme park history, roadside attractions, filming locations, and everyday travel.

What set his channel apart was not polish or spectacle, but consistency and sincerity. He showed up daily, camera in hand, walking viewers through Disney parks, small towns, forgotten motels, and quiet personal routines. Over time, he created a genuine sense of companionship. By the end of his career, Adam the Woo had become less an influencer and more a chronicler of places, memory, and motion.

I don’t watch much broadcast or cable television. In a typical week, I might watch less than an hour. But I spent two or three hours a week with Adam the Woo for years. I already miss him the way I miss Anthony Bourdain.

Both inspired me to overcome my fear of talking to people I don’t know. Both did it naturally. Both carried a punk-rock aesthetic I admire. They moved through the world with curiosity instead of fear, openness instead of performance.

Life is too short. “Join me, shall you?” Adam used to say.

Life really is too short.

Rest in peace, Adam.