Post by cofi on Apr 15, 2008 15:42:36 GMT
Kim Wilson
"Kim Wilson is a US blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known singing lead vocals with The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s "Tuff Enuff" and "Wrap It Up"."
"Wilson was born in Detroit, MI. in 1951. He grew up in Goleta, CA. He started with blues in the late sixties, and was tutored by people like George "Harmonica" Smith, Peewee Crayton, & Luther Tucker. He was influenced by swamp blues harmonica players like Slim Harpo, and Lazy Lester. He moved to Austin, TX in 1974 In Austin he formed The Fabulous Thunderbirds with Jimmie Vaughan. "
"Wilson continues to perform up to 300 dates per year at blues festivals and clubs in America, Canada. and Europe. both as leader of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and with the Kim Wilson Blues Revue."
Kim Wilson, Born on January 6, 1951, in Detroit, MI.
One of my favorite blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. He's considered the lead singer, harmonica player, for band the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He, and Jimmy Vaughan founded the band. Kim Wilson is the one constant member after Vaughan left the band. Other members are, drummer Mike Buck and bassist Keith Ferguson. Wilson was also a solo artist. influenced by lesser known blues songs by such songwriters as Tampa Red, Roosevelt Sykes, and Lonnie Johnson.
Wilson moved to Los Angeles in 1960 at age 9, His father, an executive with General Motors, later moved to Goleta, CA. Both of his parents also sang on the radio. In high school, Wilson played trombone and guitar, but quit both after discovering the blues in his senior year. At one time he thought of becoming a professional football player, but abandoned the idea when he found his love for performing. Wilson dropped out of college in 1970 and moved to the San Francisco area. Calling himself "Goleta Slim," he added to his early blues harmonica education by playing with George "Harmonica" Smith, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, and Jimmy Reed.
Later He moved to Minnesota, where he played in a group called. the Aces of Straights and Shuffles. The band's manager was, blues legend and Chess Records' producer and songwriter Willie Dixon, who wrote and performed "Wang Dang Doodle," "Back Door Man," and "Spoonful." The band relocated to Austin, TX in the mid-1970s, where Wilson sat in on a jam session with guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Jimmie Vaughan's older brother. Jimmie, had heard Wilson's performance and invited Wilson to join his band. The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Wilson played with some of his blues heroes, during this time, including Muddy Waters, and Eric Clapton, who asked Wilson to support him on his 1981 tour. Clapton's tour was cancelled due to the guitarist's perforated ulcer, but the Thunderbirds were able to open for Clapton the following year.
He was invited to sit in as a vocalist or harmonica player on albums by many artists including, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, and Albert Collins. In 1990 Wilson also appeared on Daddy-O Daddy! Rare Family Songs of Woody Guthrie. Wilson had also played harmonica on Lowe's album Pinker and Prouder than Previous.
In 1993 the album Tigerman was released. That's Life in 1994. In 2001 he released Smokin' Joint, which was nominated for a Grammy Award and several W.C. Handy Awards. Smokin' Joint featured bassist Larry Taylor, an original member of the band Canned Heat, along with drummer Richard Innes as the core group, which had played with musicians Rusty Zinn, Billy Flynn, Kirk Fletcher, Troy Gonyea, and keyboardist Mark Stevens.
Give him a listen;
www.amazon.com/Lookin-Trouble-Kim-Wilson/dp/B00009N1X0
Emusic www.emusic.com/artist/Kim-Wilson-MP3-Download/11486442.html
