Mike "Hitman" Wilson

Michael A. Wilson is an American DJ and producer from Chicago. Initially a later member of Hot Mix 5, he later diversified into production; his 1990 single, "Another Sleepless Night", charted on the UK Singles Chart at No. 74, and when re-released in 1991 credited to Shawn Christopher, charted at No. 50. He also produced works by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, New Order, Mr. Lee, 808 State, and Ghost Town DJ's, and has been named as an influence by Octave One and Neal Howard.

Life and career

Hot Mix 5 Michael A. Wilson is from Chicago. He started off as a promoter, but deputised after the club's DJ couldn't make it; enjoying the experience, he began DJing at all his parties. He became friends with Farley "Jackmaster" Funk of Hot Mix 5, a collective of DJs formed in 1981 for WBMX's Saturday Night Live Ain’t No Jive Chicago Dance Party, after inviting him to spin a set at one of them; one day Funk let Wilson deputise for him, and from that guest spot Wilson became a member of the Hot Mix 5,

While at WBMX, in order to differentiate himself as the new boy, he began reediting tracks, such as adding intros and breaks, to make them easier to mix in and out of; from this, he began remixing them. which charted at No. 7 on the American Dance Club Songs chart, and when released as the B-side to "Call My Name", charted at No. 50 on the UK Singles Chart. The following year he produced New Order's "MTO", which when released in 1989 as the B-side to "Run 2", charted at No. 49 on the UK Singles Chart, and a remix of Mr. Lee's "Get Busy", which charted at No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart.

After meeting Rick Rock at Milton Lee Olive Park's jazz festival and offering to produce him, he suggested that Wilson instead produce his mother, Shawn Christopher; Wilson met her after she played with Nick Tremulis at the Riviera Theatre. He produced "Another Sleepless Night", After the song topped the Dance Club Songs chart, Clive Davis summoned Christopher into his office, and convinced her to rerelease the song under the name "Shawn Christopher", on the grounds that she was the artist; which charted at No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart. which charted at No. 67 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1996, he released a Club Mix of "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJ's, which popularised the song; writing in September 2022, Pitchfork's Samhita Mukhopadhyay complimented its "extended three minutes of atmospheric groove over Virgo Williams’ haunting vocals", and the publication declared his version the 74th best song of the 1990s, one of 53 R&B songs on that list. In the 2010s, Octave One and Neal Howard named him as an influence.