He is a singer-songwriter, musician and producer born in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the son of a Pentecostal minister and the brother of Ronnie and Robert Wilson. He and his brothers learned to sing in the church from around the age of 3 or 4 and from high school years they were performing with bands.
He and his brothers formed Greenwood, Archer and Pine Band in 1967 and released their first album in 1974. They eventually became the Gap Band and started to see success in 1979 which carried on into the 1980s.
He co-wrote many of the band’s songs including the hits “Ooops Upside Your Head” and “Early in the Morning”. The band slowed down around 1984 and he started to concentrate on his solo career.
He has released several solo albums and has been cited by Aaron Hall and R. Kelly as being a major influence. R. Kelly produced his second album, Charlie Last Name, Wilson on which he worked with artists that include Snoop Dogg and Justin Timberlake.
He has been nominated for one Grammy Award in the category “Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group”.
In 2008 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer with his treatment being successful and has since worked with the Prostate Cancer Foundation to make people aware of the disease.
IGap Band Recordings
Baby Baba Boogie (Lonnie Simmons/Charlie Wilson)
Party Lights Remix (Charlie Wilson/Lonnie Simmons/Ronnie Wilson/Rudolph Taylor)
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