Kim Wilson
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Kim Wilson (born January 6, 1951) is an American
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
and
harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...
player. He is best known as the
lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
and
frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
for
The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds is an American blues rock band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member through the band's entire history. Their 1986 album ''Tuff Enuff'' sold over a million copies, and spawned two minor hit singl ...
on two hit
song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
s of the 1980s, " Tuff Enuff" (which was the group's only Top 40 hit) and "Wrap It Up."


Career

Wilson was born in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, in 1951, but he grew up in
Goleta, California Goleta ( ; ; Spanish for "schooner") is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated populated area in the county. As of the 200 ...
, where he sometimes went by the stage name of "Goleta Slim." He started with the
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
in the late 1960s and was tutored by people like
Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...
, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Albert Collins, George "Harmonica" Smith,
Luther Tucker Luther Tucker (January 20, 1936 – June 18, 1993) was an American blues guitarist. While soft-spoken and shy, Tucker made his presence known through his unique and clearly recognizable guitar style. Tucker helped to define the music known as ...
and Pee Wee Crayton and was influenced by harmonica players such as
Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...
, James Cotton,
Big Walter Horton Walter Horton (April 6, 1921 – December 8, 1981), known as Big Walter (Horton) or Walter "Shakey" Horton, was an American blues harmonica player. A quiet, unassuming, shy man, he is remembered as one of the premier harmonica players in the hi ...
,
Slim Harpo Slim Harpo (born Isiah Moore or James Isaac Moore; February 11, 1924 – January 31, 1970)Martin Hawkins, "Slim Harpo at 100", ''Blues & Rhythm'', No.384, June 2024, p.23 was an American blues musician, a leading exponent of the swamp blues styl ...
and Lazy Lester. Before he moved to
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, in 1974, he was the leader of the band Aces, Straights and Shuffles in
Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
; the band released one single. In Austin he formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds with guitarist Jimmie Vaughan. They became the house band at Antone's, a blues club owned by Clifford Antone. Wilson continues to perform up to 300 concert dates per year at blues
music festival A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...
s and clubs all over the world, both as leader of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and with Kim Wilson's Blues Allstars. His powerful style of blues harp playing has been described as "loaded with the textures of a full-blown horn section." In 2015, Wilson made a guest appearance playing the harmonica on Karen Lovely's album, ''Ten Miles of Bad Road''. In 2016, Wilson won a
Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...
in the 'Instrumentalist - Harmonica' category. Wilson played himself in a rare television appearance on '' Wiseguy'', "Sleepwalk" episode, in 1989.


Discography


Solo

* 1993: ''Tigerman'' ( Antone's) * 1994: ''That's Life'' (Antone's) * 1997: ''My Blues'' (Blue Collar) * 2001: ''Smokin' Joint'' (M.C. Records) * 2003: ''Looking for Trouble'' (M.C. Records) * 2006: ''My Blues Sessions: Kim's Mix, Volume I'' (Bluebeat) * 2017: ''Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1'' (Severn) * 2020: ''Take Me Back - The Bigtone Sessions'' (M.C. Records)


Guest

* Ronnie Earl, ''Smokin' '' (1983) * Roomful of Blues, ''Dressed Up To Get Messed Up'' (1984) * Ronnie Earl, ''They Call Me Mr. Earl'' (1984) * Ron Levy's Wild Kingdon, ''Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom'' (1988) * Katie Webster, '' The Swamp Boogie Queen'' (1988) * '' People Get Ready – A Tribute to Curtis Mayfield'' (1993) * Snuff Johnson, ''Will The Circle Be Unbroken'' ( Black Magic Records, 1994) *
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
, '' Road Tested'' (1995) * Kid Ramos, ''Kid Ramos'' (1999) * James Cotton, ''35th Anniversary Jam of the James Cotton Blues Band'' (Telarc, 2001) * Big Jack Johnson, '' The Memphis Barbecue Sessions'' (2002) * JW-Jones, ''Bogart's Bounce'' (guest, 2002) * JW-Jones, ''My Kind of Evil'' (producer and guest, 2004) * Wentus Blues Band, '' Family Album '' (Bluelight Records, 2004) * Barrelhouse Chuck, '' Got My Eyes on You'' (2007) * Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan, '' Jimmy Reed Highway'' (2007) * Louisiana Red, ''Back to the Black Bayou'' ( Ruf Records, 2008) *
Elvin Bishop Elvin Richard Bishop (born October 21, 1942) is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 2015, and in ...
, ''The Blues Rolls On'' (2008) *
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
, '' Clapton'' (
Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any re ...
, 2010) *
Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...
, ''
Privateering A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since Piracy, robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sover ...
'' (2012) * Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, ''Road Dog's Life'' (
Delta Groove Productions Delta Groove Productions is an American blues record label in Van Nuys, California, United States. The label was founded by Randy Chortkoff ( Rand Jay Chortkoff; 1949–2015), a producer, concert promoter, and harmonica player. Chortkoff's biog ...
, 2013) * Barrelhouse Chuck, '' Driftin' From Town To Town'' (2013) *
The Robert Cray Band Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was stationed at ...
, ''4 Nights of 40 Years'' (2015) *
Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...
, '' Born to Play Guitar'' (2015) * Thornetta Davis, ''Honest Woman'' (2016) * Peter Karp, ''Blue Flame'' (2018) * Ash Grunwald, ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...
'' (2019) *
Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English-American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who rose to prominence as a member of the rock bands the Herd and Humble Pie. Later in his career, Frampton found significant success as a s ...
, ''All Blues'' (2019)


References


External links


2009 Interview Bluesinlondon Magazine
* , accompanied by Gene Taylor
Wilson's biography on the Fabulous Thunderbirds website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Kim American blues singers American blues harmonica players 1951 births Living people Harmonica blues musicians Texas blues musicians People from Goleta, California Singers from California 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers Singers from Detroit The Fabulous Thunderbirds members 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers