Rusty Willoughby (born June 30, 1966[1]) is an American musician born in Staten Island and currently living in Vashon, Washington, a suburb of Seattle.

As of 2011[update], he has been vocalist, songwriter and guitarist or bass guitarist for several Seattle based bands: Pure Joy (1984–1989, 1997–2004),[2] Flop (1990–1995),[2] Llama (2005–2008),[3] and Cobirds Unite (2010–).

[4] He also briefly played drums for the Fastbacks.

[1][5][6] He also played with Kurt Bloch of the Fastbacks, Jonathan Poneman (co-founder of the record label Sub Pop[7]), and Scott Sutherland (of Seattle bands Model Rockets and Chemistry Set) in a Cheap Trick cover band called Sick Man of Europe,[1] and appeared in the film Hype!,[8] a documentary directed about the popularity of grunge rock.

In a 1999 review of Willoughby's self-titled solo album, Don Yates of KEXP-FM described his "Beatlesque songcraft" as "bring[ing] to mind the starker side of Elliott Smith.