Ricky Wilson (American musician)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Ricky Wilson


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Born = birth date|1953|3|19 in Athens, GA
Died = death date and age|1985|10|12|1953|3|19
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Instrument = Electric guitar, Bass guitar
Genre = New Wave
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Associated_acts = The B-52's
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Ricky Helton Wilson (March 19, 1953 – October 12, 1985) was the original guitarist and founding member of the rock band, The B-52's.

Born in Athens, Georgia, he was the brother of fellow B-52's member Cindy Wilson. Like the other male members of the band, Wilson was quietly gay, (to the disappointment of many female fans - his sexual orientation, like those of Keith and Fred, would not be public knowledge until the early 1990s).cite web |title=52's still rockin' at 25 |last=Che |first=Cathay |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2002_Feb_5/ai_82322842 |date=February 5, 2002 |accessdate=2007-03-08 |periodical=The Advocate]

As a self-taught guitarist, he invented his own tunings, grouping the strings into a bass course (usually tuned to 5ths for strumming) and a treble course (often tuned in unison), removing the middle two strings entirely, though sometimes he played with 5 strings as well. A blue Mosrite so modified is visible on the back cover of the B-52's self-titled first album. It was an unusual way to tune the guitar, but it worked amazingly well, and people were surprised that there was no bass player.

Wilson died on October 12, 1985, aged 32, from health complications related to AIDS. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12648464/site/newsweek/page/14/ AIDS and the Arts: A Lost Generation - Newsweek Health - MSNBC.com ] ] According to Kate Pierson, Wilson had kept his illness secret from his fellow band members because "he did not want anyone to worry about him or fuss about him." [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWByrePQgsA EMP: Experience Music Project: Kate Pierson talking about Ricky Wilson] ]

Following his death, fellow B-52's member Keith Strickland (originally the drummer for the B-52's) switched to playing guitar, after realizing that if anyone were to play the guitar even remotely close to the way Wilson had - it would be Keith. The band then set out to find a replacement drummer.Fact|date=July 2008

Collaborations

* Ricky Wilson played the guitar on the song "Breakin' In My Heart" on the 1979 self-titled album by Tom Verlaine.
* He played Bass on XTC's 1979 album 'Drums and Wires

Filmography

* "" (1987), archive footage
* "One Trick Pony" (1980)

References

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=3598 Ricky Wilson's Grave]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A41372-2003Jun27&notFound=true Washington Post Article about Ricky Wilson's Grave]