"Show
and Tell"
"The Snake"
"Do What You Gotta
Do"
"Touch and Go"
Utopia Artists is sorry to report that on April 21,
2007, sadly, Al Wilson passed away.
Music was his life. Al got his first taste of show business as early
as grade school where he acted in school plays, entered and won talent
contests and even picked up first prize in an art show.
After a stint in the U.S. Navy, Al left his Mississippi home and came
West to become a performer. He played his share of local clubs, working
with a variety of vocal instrumental group while polishing his personal
and musical style. He added drum playing and stand-up comedy to his
stable of skills, filling out the picture of the complete performer.
His first big break came when Johnny Rivers signed him to his Soul
City Records where he recorded hit versions of "The
Snake" and "Do What You Gotta
Do".
His platter successes went on to include "Show
and Tell", "Touch and
Go", "La La Peace Song" and several albums.
"Show and Tell", which sold over two million copies and was named a
Cashbox Magazine Number One Single of the Year, and firmly established
him in the stellar orbit. The sheer musical talent and infectious style
that shone through on his earlier hits were also evidence on Al's single,
"I’ve Got a Feelin".
Commenting on the wide range of music he performed, Al commented "if
you do a thing well, whether it’s a ballad, soul, blues, or rock, you
can reach people of different tastes and please them all".
Al traced his style to no single influence. He patterned himself
after no idol, no established performer. Pop, jazz, gospel, blues, hard
rock, and funk were all absorbed by him and are infused into his music.
The stimulating combination of sensitivity and great strength that is
the essence of Al Wilson sparked his career. Whether on record, television or on stage, Al Wilson
had that
special quality that marked him as an enduring star.
