He is best known for his "tramp" persona and for performing humorous or satirical musical numbers, including parodies of popular songs of the day.

An article in the Fredericksburg, Virginia Daily Star, dated Tuesday, October 9, 1923, mentions Maud, and says that Wills was the grandson of James Taylor, a policeman.

James Taylor was Wills' mother Sallie's father and is listed on census records as a policeman.

Reportedly, one of his first stage appearances was with Minnie Palmer, a popular actress and operetta star of the day.

On August 20, 1909, tabloids reported that vaudeville player Trixie Friganza was engaged to Wills, but no further mention was made of this and they did not get married.

Wills died on December 9, 1917, of carbon monoxide poisoning while working on his car in a closed garage at his home in Woodcliff, New Jersey.

Wills went to court on April 13, 1915, after his divorce from La Belle Titcomb and remarriage to May Day, to try to reduce his alimony payments to Heloise.

In addition, he claimed that Heloise made sufficient income with her own stage show, and had assets enough to keep her well without his alimony payments.

"[22] In 2007, Archeophone Records released a CD containing all existing songs by Wills remastered from their original cylinder or disk formats.