Chris Wilson

Christopher John Wilson (24 January 1956 – 16 January 2019) was an Australian blues musician who sang and played harmonica, saxophone and guitar. He performed as part of the Sole Twisters, Harem Scarem and Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, and fronted his band Crown of Thorns. Wilson's solo albums are Landlocked (June 1992), The Long Weekend (March 1998), Spiderman, King for a Day (July 2002), Flying Fish (2012) and the self titled Chris Wilson (2018).

In March 1996, Wilson collaborated with Johnny Diesel in a blues project, Wilson Diesel, which issued an album, Short Cool Ones, composed mostly of "soul and R&B standards". It peaked at No. 18 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Outside of his music career Wilson taught English at various secondary schools in Melbourne for about 20 years.

On 24 July 2018, Wilson's management announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was unlikely to perform again. A fundraising concert at the Corner Hotel was announced and quickly sold out. Fellow musician and friend Suzannah Espie set up a GoFundMe page which raised over AU$100,000 in just a few days before ceasing to accept further donations.

In 2020, Wilson was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.

Life and career 1956–1987: Early years and collaborations Christopher John Wilson was born in 1956. He grew up in Alphington, an inner-Melbourne suburb. He completed his tertiary studies, and worked as an English teacher at various Melbourne secondary schools for "some 20 years". the R&B band included Brian Horne, Barry Palmer, his brother Craig Palmer, Jeff Pickard, and Nigel Sweeting. His early influences were Australian blues groups, Chain and Carson. This line-up recorded their debut studio album, Pilgrim's Progress for Au Go Go Records, which was released in December 1986. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, noted it was "sparsely recorded ... [which] mixed one side of electric blues including Willie Dixon's 'Bring It on Home', and one side of acoustic folk tunes". which had been recorded at radio station Triple J's studios in Melbourne on 22 October 1990.

In August 1991 Wilson provided lead vocals for the debut solo album by Robin Casinader (ex-the Wreckery), All This Will Be Yours.

He also played harmonica on three songs on the album Woodface (1991) by Crowded House ("Chocolate Cake", "Tall Trees", and "There Goes God").

1992–1995: Chris Wilson Band and solo releases During 1992 Wilson formed the Chris Wilson Band and released an EP, The Big One, in May and a studio album, Landlocked, in June. Laurie White caught their gig at Tilley's which "a privileged few will remember for an age (if only I'd taken a Walkman like one lucky bootlegger)" with Wilson described as "a huge writhing gospel cyber punk, [who] sings and plays harp with such venom and power it's impossible to ignore him against melancholy songs (reminiscent of Archie Roach at his most tearful). The change in gear is exhilarating if not frightening". Boehm described Wilson as "a big, denim-clad slab of a man with a shaven head and the look of a street tough or a stevedore. In contrast to such reserved performers as Kelly ... he had a taste for the monumental. His big, rangy, high-impact voice supported his flair for the dramatic flourish and the grand gesture". In June 1993 Wilson, Charlie Owen, and three former members of The Triffids: David McComb, Robert McComb and Graham Lee guested on Acuff's Rose's debut studio album, Never Comin' Down.

On 20 May 1994 Wilson's performance at the Continental Hotel in Prahran was recorded for Live at the Continental, which was released in October. Wilson toured extensively and played at many festivals, both in Australia and overseas, and shared stages with Bob Dylan, and with Johnny Diesel. He provided backing vocals on the Merril Bainbridge song "Under the Water" for her album The Garden (1995). Other performers were Dean Addison on bass guitar, Angus Diggs on drums, and Rob Woolf on keyboards and backing vocals. Paul Petran of Radio National's Live on Stage felt Short Cool Ones was "one of the most successful blues albums in Australian history".

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998 Wilson received another nomination as Best Male Artist, for The Long Weekend. In November he appeared at the Mushroom 25 Concert both as a solo artist and in Wilson Diesel. Wilson issued a solo album, Spiderman, which was recorded at Studio 335, Southbank with Wilson, O'Mara and Thompson co-producing; O'Mara also guested on two tracks. Melbourne Blues Rock website's Tim Slingsby reviewed the album in September 2011 and noted it was "a mix of covers and originals. ... [The covers] are given a real personal touch one could easily think Wilson and gang had crafted the songs themselves". Slingsby felt the "production allows both the guitar and harmonica to stand out on tracks, trade off licks, and then fall back to accompany the other instruments. Overall the album has a strong dynamic range with slower, sultry songs inserted amongst the more lively tracks without dropping off in feel". Along with Bourne, Folley and Rodgers, the album featured Tolhurst (guest guitars, piano, mandolin and tipple), Cyndi Boste (guest lead vocals), Sarah Carroll (guest lead vocals) and Skip Sail (guest banjo).

In March 2003 Richard Sharman of I-94 Bar website reviewed Chris Wilson and The Spidermen's gig at the Bridge Hotel in Sydney, and found that Wilson's "voice was magnificent ranging from soft tenderness to a bellowing roar that raised shivers at the back of my neck. His voice sounded better than ever and his harp playing was superb – this boy can play!"

2013–present: Later years and death On 26 October 2013, Wilson Diesel reunited to perform the entire Short Cool Ones album at the Sydney Blues & Roots Festival.

On 30 October 2019, Chris Wilson was inducted into the Blues Music Victoria Inc Hall of Fame as the 2019 Peoples Choice, Victorian Blues Legend.

In 2020, Wilson was inducted into the Music Victoria Awards' Hall of Fame. He died 16 January 2019, having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018.

Discography Studio albums + List of albums, with Australian chart positions Title Album details Peak chartpositions AUS Landlocked Released: June 1992 Format: CD, cassette Label: Aurora (D30763) 86 Short Cool Ones (as Wilson Diesel) Released: April 1996 Format: CD, digital download Label: Chris Wilson (Forge 006) —

Live albums + List of live albums, with selected details and chart positions Title Album details Peak chartpositions AUS Format: CD, cassette Label: Aurora (D19852) 19 Box of Blues (with Geoff Achison) Released: 2012 Format: CD, digital download Label: Breakneck (MJP1202) — Chris Wilson Live at Cherry Released: 2013 Format: CD, digital download Label: Forge (FORGE 005) —

Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Album AUS Box of Blues (with Geoff Achison) Best Blues Albums 2020 himself Hall of Fame inductee