Cindy Wilson

Last updated
Cindy Wilson
The B52s en Barcelona (2660131223).jpg
Wilson performing with The B-52's in Barcelona, 2008
Background information
Birth nameCynthia Leigh Wilson
Born (1957-02-28) February 28, 1957 (age 67)
Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • tambourine
  • bongos
  • guitar
Years active1976–present
Labels
Website cindywilsonb52s.com

Cynthia Leigh Wilson (born February 28, 1957) is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of new wave rock band the B-52's. She is noted for her distinctive contralto voice and also plays percussion during live shows. She is the younger sister of the late guitarist Ricky Wilson (1953–1985), who was also a founding member of the band.

Contents

In addition to her work with the B-52's, Wilson has released two solo EPs, Sunrise (2016) and Supernatural (2017). In late 2017, she released her debut solo album, Change , via the independent label Kill Rock Stars. Wilson released her second solo album, Realms, in August 2023.

Biography

1957–1975: Early life

Wilson was born February 28, 1957 [1] in Athens, Georgia. [2] She had one elder brother, Ricky. [2] When Ricky was 19 years old, he began learning to play guitar, and invited Cindy to harmonize along with his instrumentation. [2]

1976–1984: Career beginnings and The B-52s

The B-52's were formed when Wilson, her brother Ricky, keyboardist and backing vocalist Kate Pierson, drummer and percussionist Keith Strickland, and lead vocalist Fred Schneider played an impromptu musical jam session after sharing a tropical Flaming Volcano drink at a local Chinese restaurant. [2] [3] Prior, Ricky Wilson and Strickland had considered forming a band after taking a post-college vacation of Europe. [2] The band played their first concert in 1977 at a Valentine's Day party for their friends in Athens. [2] Wilson, then 19 years old, was the youngest member of the band.

The group recorded and released their debut album The B-52's in 1979, released through Warner Bros. Records, which yielded the charting singles "Rock Lobster" and "Planet Claire" and launched the band into stardom. The album peaked at number 7 on the U.S. Billboard 200, [4] and was also especially popular in Australia. [5] "[The record companies] were looking for new wave punk, and we fit the bill because they thought we were very original," Wilson recalled. "We got some money to support us, and then we could concentrate on growing our shows a little more and writing more music." [2] From their inception, the band drew attention for their flamboyant stage attire, which included Wilson and Pierson donning beehive hairdos and go-go boots. [2] [6]

The band released their second album, Wild Planet , in 1980, during which time they pooled their income together to purchase a house in upstate New York, where they all lived together and recorded material. [2] Their third studio album, Whammy! , was released in 1983, also through Warner Bros. Records.

1985–1993: Mainstream success and hiatus

On April 21, 1985, Wilson married Keith Bennett, a successful advertiser who was a longtime friend of the band and Ricky's guitar tech on tour. Her brother, Ricky, died later that year of an AIDS-related illness, leaving her devastated. She recalled of his illness and death:

Ricky didn't tell me what was going on. I can't tell you what was in his mind. I was shocked and a lot of things I had to deal with because Ricky didn't confide in me. It kind of threw me for a loop when all of a sudden I got a phone call from the hospital saying 'your brother's dying'. And then I never did get to say goodbye to him. So it really screwed me up. [5]

The band had recorded the bulk of their fourth release, Bouncing Off the Satellites (1986) prior to Ricky Wilson's death. The group subsequently took a hiatus, returning three years later with their fifth album, Cosmic Thing (1989), which featured drummer Keith Strickland assuming the role of lead guitarist in Ricky Wilson's absence. The album featured several highly successful singles, including "Roam" and "Love Shack", both of which went on to become two of the band's signature tracks. [7]

Wilson took a sabbatical from the band in 1990 to concentrate on raising a family of two children, during which time the B-52's recorded and released the album Good Stuff as a trio of Pierson, Schneider and Strickland. During the live tour to promote Good Stuff in 1992 and 1993, Julee Cruise sang as a replacement for Wilson.

1994–present: Return to the B-52's, solo work

Wilson rejoined the B-52's in 1994. In 1998, she took part in recordings for two new songs to be included with the band's hit singles on the album Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation . Wilson then took maternity leave in 1999 (being replaced on tour by Gail Ann Dorsey), later rejoining the band in 2001 for regular touring of their greatest hits.

The B-52's completed the album Funplex in 2007, and it was released in March 2008. Wilson co-wrote every song on the album with the three other band members. In all, she has co-written much of the band's catalog, including "Dance This Mess Around", "Private Idaho" and all of the Cosmic Thing album, including hit singles "Love Shack" and "Roam".

Wilson self-released an EP of new material, Sunrise, in September 2016. [8] February 2017 saw the self-release of another EP of new material, Supernatural. [9] Wilson released her debut solo record, Change, in December 2017 through the independent label Kill Rock Stars. [10] [11] On August 25, 2023, she released her second solo album, Realms. Its first single, "Midnight", was released in May 2023. [12]

Artistry

Wilson's vocal efforts include the typical B-52's call-and-response vocals with Schneider and/or Pierson, as well as her harmonies with Pierson on the band's all-female songs such as "Roam", "52 Girls", "Cake", "Legal Tender", "Summer of Love" and "Juliet of the Spirits". One of the band's signature elements is the setup among the three vocalists. However, Wilson sings the greatest number of solo performances in the band, especially on their earlier albums. Examples of Cindy's solo vocal performances in the B-52's include "Hero Worship", "Loveland", "Nip It in the Bud", "Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland", "Ain't It a Shame", "She Brakes for Rainbows" and "Give Me Back My Man".

Wilson plays the bongos on live favorites like "Planet Claire", "Mesopotamia", "Pump" and "Party Out of Bounds" as well as other songs such as "6060-842" and "Big Bird". She also has played acoustic guitar in The Cindy Wilson Band, made electric guitar contributions (with her brother Ricky) on the songs "There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" from The B-52's , and played the guitar solo for "Nip It In the Bud" during the band's 1982 Mesopotamia tour. She has stated that she was encouraged to play guitar by her brother, but experienced finger pain.[ citation needed ]

Collaborations

Discography

EPs:

Albums:

Filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The B-52s</span> American rock band

The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson, and Keith Strickland. Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland permanently switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various members for albums and live performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Pierson</span> American singer, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist (b. 1948)

Catherine Elizabeth Pierson is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52s. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the early years, as well as being a vocalist, Pierson was the main keyboard player and performed on a keyboard bass during live shows and on many of the band's recordings, taking on a role usually filled by a bass guitar player, which differentiated the band from their contemporaries. This, along with Pierson's distinctive wide-ranging singing voice, remains a trademark of the B-52s' unique sound. Pierson has also collaborated with many other artists including the Ramones, Iggy Pop and R.E.M. Pierson possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Schneider</span> American musician (b. 1951)

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<i>Good Stuff</i> 1992 studio album by the B-52s

Good Stuff is the sixth studio album by American new wave band the B-52s, released in 1992 by Reprise Records. It was conceived after the band's manager urged them to quickly issue a follow-up to their highly successful album Cosmic Thing (1989), and was created without founding member Cindy Wilson, who was on a temporary hiatus. The album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and its title track peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Good Stuff was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>Cosmic Thing</i> 1989 studio album by the B-52s

Cosmic Thing is the fifth studio album by American new wave band the B-52s, released in 1989 by Reprise Records. It contains the hit singles "Love Shack", "Roam" and "Deadbeat Club". The music video for "Love Shack" won the award for Best Group Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. Six of the album's songs were produced by Nile Rodgers in New York City, and the remaining four by Don Was in upstate New York.

<i>Whammy!</i> 1983 studio album by the B-52s

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<i>Bouncing Off the Satellites</i> 1986 studio album by the B-52s

Bouncing off the Satellites is the fourth studio album by American new wave band the B-52s, released on September 8, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded in July 1985 and was produced by Tony Mansfield. Founding member and guitarist Ricky Wilson died of AIDS after most of the work on the album was completed, but a year prior to its release. The band had gone on hiatus by the time Bouncing Off the Satellites was released, and it took three years for the band to recover from Wilson's death and release their next studio album, Cosmic Thing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Wilson (guitarist)</span> American guitarist (1953–1985)

Ricky Helton Wilson was an American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of rock band the B-52s. Born in Athens, Georgia, Wilson was the brother of fellow member Cindy Wilson. The B-52s were founded in 1976, when Ricky, Cindy, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Fred Schneider shared a tropical flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant and, after an impromptu music session at the home of their friend Owen Scott III, played for the first time at a Valentine's Day party for friends. Wilson's unusual guitar tunings were a large contribution to the band's quirky sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Lobster</span> 1978 single by the B-52s

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roam</span> 1989 single by the B-52s

"Roam" is a song by American new wave band the B-52s released as the fourth single from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). The vocals are sung by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson. The B-52's worked with a co-writer, Robert Waldrop, who penned the lyrics. Released as a single in 1989, "Roam" peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and entered the top 10 in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.

<i>Funplex</i> Album by the B-52s

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<i>Live! 8-24-1979</i> 2015 live album by The B-52s

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<i>Change</i> (Cindy Wilson album) 2017 studio album by Cindy Wilson

Change is the debut solo album by Cindy Wilson of The B-52's. Crowdfunded by PledgeMusic, it’s her third solo effort after the release of two EPs: Sunrise and Supernatural.

References

  1. ↑ "Cindy Wilson". Biography.com. September 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Scott, Rosemary (June 25, 2017). "Cindy Wilson: Looking Back and Moving Forward". The Red and Black. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  3. ↑ Hale 2020, pp. 37–39.
  4. ↑ The B-52's > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic . Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Roberts, Jo (November 26, 2009). "Bouffant Bombshell". The Age . p. 2. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018.
  6. ↑ Hale 2020, p. 41.
  7. ↑ Levine, Nick (January 30, 2019). "The Guide to Getting into the B-52s, Pop's Most Surprising Party Starters". Vice . Archived from the original on May 15, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Sunrise EP". Bandcamp.com. September 16, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Supernatural EP". Bandcamp.com. February 28, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ Gotrich, Lars. "For The First Time In 40 Years, The B-52s' Cindy Wilson Goes Solo". NPR . Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  11. ↑ "The B-52s' Cindy Wilson's Solo Album: Interview & New Song". Billboard . September 5, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  12. ↑ Cohen, Jonathan (23 May 2023). "As The B-52'S Wind Down Touring Career, Cindy Wilson Readies Solo LP". Spin.

Sources

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