Gary Wilson (musician)

Gary Wilson
Wilson performing in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Gary Wilson
Born	October 1953 (age 63) Endicott, New York, U.S.
Genres	Funk, experimental, lounge
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, cello
Years active	1965–1981 2004–present
Labels	Cry Baby Records Motel Records Stones Throw Records Human Ear Music Western Vinyl
Associated acts	The Blind Dates, Donnie Finnell & Company East, The Roots, R. Stevie Moore, Earl Sweatshirt
Website	www.sixpointfour.com

Gary Wilson (born October 1953) is an experimental musician/performance artist best known for his 1977 album You Think You Really Know Me, after which he promptly retired from recording and performing concerts. He slowly gained a strong cult following during the 1980s and 1990s, and in the early 2000s became active again.

Born on The North Side of Endicott, New York, Gary Wilson was one of four siblings, the others being Larry, David and Patti. They kept several ducks as pets while children. His father worked for IBM during the day, and by night played stand-up bass in a lounge band whose act played the same hotel approximately four nights a week for 25 years. Gary was a self-taught musician, and musical prodigy, being proficient in guitar, bass, drums, piano and cello by the time he entered grade school. He has credited his earliest influences to be Fabian, Bobby Rydell and most of all Dion. His mother would curl the front of his hair for him every morning so that he could look like his teen heart-throb idols.

At age 9, Gary Wilson joined his school band, playing stand-up bass. The following year, he wrote his first song. At 12, Wilson started acquiring tape machines and began recording songs in his parents' basement. Around this time, he became fascinated by The Beatles and rock and roll (he attended The Beatles' famous 1965 Shea Stadium concert). About a year later, he began playing keyboards in a band called Lourde Fuzz. They cut a single when he was only in eighth grade. The group even earned a spot on a bill opening for The 1910 Fruitgum Company. When the band's lead singer left, Wilson took over vocals and songwriting, but quickly proved to be too strange for the other members.