There have been lots of big soul artists over the years but few have loomed as large as Charlie Wilson or Sheila E. Wilson first got his start in the Gap Band. A funk and R&B group, they formed in 1973 in Tulsa, Oklahoma and were composed of brothers Charlies, Ronnie and Robert Wilson. While their earlier records didn't sell, they eventually scored hits in 1979 with songs "I'm in Love" and "Shake". They had their biggest chart success with
The Gap Band III in 1980. That album yielded multiple R&B hits and they rode that success throughout the rest of the decade. It was in the 90s when Wilson began to create his own music and make a name for himself. In 2005, he released his most popular album
Charlie, Last Name Wilson, and had hits in the adult contemporary department. His more mature music was different that that of his band but still enjoyable by his fans and he has built a loyal following over the years. His solo and band music have also been sampled by a variety of hip-hop and R&B artists which has assured the longevity of his fame. Sheila E. was a contemporary of WIlson and she got her start as a percussionist and singer for the George Duke Band. in 1978, she met Prince and this foreshadowed a number of collaborations between the two artists. She joined him during his Purple Rain era and he helped her score her first chart success with "The Glamorous Life" and "A Love Bizarre". While maintaining her own career, she's also served as the musical director for several big name artists while performing for movie soundtracks, tv shows, and concert tours. She's one of the most popular percussionists in history and has been known as the "Queen of Percussion" for quite some time.
Being a drummer myself, I'm a little ashamed that I had never heard of Sheila E. Percussionists don't often get their due and it's easy to see how she has become so popular. She's of course an incredible drummer but it's her charismatic personality and ability to lead a show even when she's behind the drums that I think has buoyed her career. Her songs are naturally more percussive in nature and she's happy to have her band jam while she goes between songs. She has a good voice and her music is perfect for dancing and having a good time. Wilson's set was more sleek and polished but his ability to employ both solo material and songs from his old band allows for plenty of material. Much of the crowd knew every word of his songs and his band was great at getting the crowd pumped up. I didn't know any of his songs unfortunately but I still had a great time and this was just a fun show to witness. Nearly everyone was on their feet and Wilson should be delighted to see his music still strike a chord with a lot of people!
My favorite song that Wilson performed was "I'm Blessed". I'll admit I had to look the song up but it had a great groove on stage and even though he released the song just two years ago, everyone seemed to know it! Not many artists his age can play new songs with that kind of reaction so it was great to see.
Looking forward to more shows in the future!
DC
 |
| Charlie Wilson |
 |
| Sheila E. |
No comments:
Post a Comment