The band consists of mentally and physically challenged students on vocals, with the instruments played by non-handicapped teachers and friends. The group originally began as a song-writing class in 1988 taught by Michael Monagan, and has evolved since into two groups, one made up of graduates that performs in local clubs and the other a group of current Widney students in the songwriting class. The group gained a cult following, primarily thanks to their frequent live performances at larger Los Angeles venues like The Knitting Factory and Amoeba Music, as well as smaller venues such as Chain Reaction in Anaheim and The Smell in downtown LA. As a result, the group often plays at a number of ska and pop punk shows, including a stint on the Vans Warped Tour. The group has also opened for The Melvins, Fantômas, and Mr. Bungle, and have been included on several editions of the Kevin and Bean's KROQChristmas Albums. Their first CD was on Rounder Records, their second CD was on Ipecac Records, and their third and fourth CDs are on Moonman Records. Such notable musicians as Kurt Cobain, Smokey Robinson, Jackson Browne, Marilyn Manson, and Adam Horovitz have all cited themselves as fans of the band. In 2005, the Kids of Widney High were featured in The Ringer, a comedy wherein Johnny Knoxville's character pretends to be mentally disabled in order to fix the Special Olympics and gain financially through betting on it. The group is seen performing "Pretty Girls" at a dance, and again towards the end of the film singing a version of the popular 1960s song, "Respect" in which the lyrics have been rewritten so that it becomes an anthem for those with disabilities. The Kid Cudi song "Girls" from his 2013 album Indicud contains an interpolation of "Pretty Girls". In addition, their songs have been covered by such groups as The Aquabats singing "Throw Away the Trash" and Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk singing "Insects". "Pretty Girls" is also included on Secret Songs by garage-punkster, NOBUNNY They are chronicled in the feature-length rockumentary Act Your Age: The Kids of Widney High Story.
