Charlie Wilson

Charlie Wilson is an American R&B and soul singer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is best known as the lead singer of the Gap Band, a brother trio he forms with his brothers in 1967 and continues to perform with. His work fits within r&b, contemporary r&b, soul and ballad styles.

Career

Wilson begins performing in local night spots as a teenager, influenced by Sam Cooke and Little Stevie Wonder. With the Gap Band, he helps build the group’s late-1970s and early-1980s funk sound. The band becomes known for songs such as “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” “Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” and “Yearning for Your Love,” and their music is sampled by many later artists including Madonna, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Ashanti, Will Smith and George Michael.

The Gap Band also develops a strong live reputation and reaches major-headliner status in the early 1980s. Wilson says the group tours with the Rolling Stones and that showmanship is central to its performances. The band is also associated with cowboy-style stage dress, which becomes part of its image.

Solo work and collaborations

Wilson records as a solo artist under the title Charlie, Last Name Wilson, his first release since 2001. For that project he works with R. Kelly, who produces four tracks and writes material including the title track. Wilson also records with Justin Timberlake and Will.i.am, and he describes a previous project with Snoop. Tracks mentioned from the album include “No Words,” “So Hot,” “Magic,” “Floatin’” and his version of Guy’s “Let’s Chill.”

“No Words” is described as a ballad sung from a woman’s perspective. “So Hot” is a dance track, while “Magic” presents Wilson in a playful role as a magician figure. “Floatin’” is a laid-back, funky song. His remake of “Let’s Chill” connects him to the new jack swing era through Guy singer Aaron Hall and the wider tradition Wilson represents.

Personal background

Wilson grows up as the son of a preacher and a strict mother in Tulsa. He recalls a happy childhood and says his father does not discourage secular music. Later in life he experiences homelessness and drug abuse, losing wealth and living on the street before rebuilding his career. He says his wife and faith are important in that recovery.