Christopher John Wilson (2 December 1956 – 16 January 2019) was an Australian

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

who sang and played

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

and

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

. He performed as part of the Sole Twisters,

Harem Scarem Harem Scarem is a Canadian hard rock/melodic hard rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Harem Scarem initially (the early 1990s) achieved popularity in their native Canada and Japan. The band was active from 1987 to 2008, and again from 2013 after ...

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'' (2000), ''King for a Day'' (July 2002), ''Flying Fish'' (2012) and the self titled ''Chris Wilson'' (2018). In March 1996, Wilson collaborated with

Johnny Diesel Mark Denis Lizotte (born 31 May 1966) is an American-born Australian singer-songwriter and musician, who has released material under the name Diesel, Johnny Diesel, as leader of band Johnny Diesel & the Injectors, and as a solo performer, as we ...

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 The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

. 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 Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...

and was unlikely to perform again. A fundraising concert at the

Corner Hotel The Corner Hotel in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria, Australia, is a remodelled 19th-century pub which has been a live music venue since the 1940s and, since 1995, a popular rock music venue and rooftop bar.Johnston, Chris. "Corner ...

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.McFarlane, . Archived fro
the original
on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 27 November 2013. 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". In 1984, Wilson joined Sole Twisters; the R&B band included Brian Horne, Barry Palmer, his brother Craig Palmer, Jeff Pickard, and Nigel Sweeney. His early influences were Australian blues groups,

Chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

and

Carson Carson may refer to: People *Carson (surname), people with the surname *Carson (given name), people with the given name Places ;In the United States * Carson, California, a city * Carson Township, Fayette County, Illinois *Carson, Iowa, a city * ...

. In September 1985, Wilson, on harmonica and saxophone, and Barry Palmer on lead guitar, joined a neo-Blues group,

, alongside Peter Jones on drums, Charles Marshall on guitar, Christopher Marshall on lead vocals and Glen Sheldon on bass guitar. This line-up recorded their debut studio album, ''Pilgrim's Progress'' for Au Go Go Records, which was released in December 1986. While a member of Harem Scarem, Wilson provided harmonica on Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls' debut album, ''

Gossip Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling. Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means ...

'' (September 1986). By May 1987 Wilson had left Harem Scarem, he joined Kelly's 45-date tour of North America promoting ''Gossip''. Wilson acknowledged Kelly for extending his repertoire beyond harmonica, "I was asked on as a sax player too and I didn't play all that much sax when ellyasked. But he had that faith in me that I'd get my act together." During that year Wilson also guested on the

Hunters & Collectors Hunters & Collectors are an Australian rock band formed in 1981. Fronted by founding mainstay, singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, they developed a blend of Pub rock (Australia), pub rock and funk, art-funk. Other mainstays are John ...

' album '' What's a Few Men?'' (November 1987), on Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls' next album, '' Under the Sun'' (December), and played with hard rockers X.

1987–1991: Crown of Thorns and The Pub Dogs

In 1987, Wilson formed his own band, Crown of Thorns, with Barry Palmer and Chris Rodgers on

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

, bass guitar and

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

Stuart Coupe of ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

'' described the group's sound as "a diverse amalgam, recalling everything from Tim Buckley to Captain Beefheart and American blues". While Wilson felt his group was not only a blues band as "there's elements of country and straight rock 'n' roll". Their debut release was a six-track extended play, ''Gnawing on the Bones of Elvis'', which was produced by the band and appeared in April 1988. Australian musicologist,

Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...

, noted it was "sparsely recorded ...

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

mixed one side of electric blues including Willie Dixon's 'Bring It on Home', and one side of acoustic folk tunes". Crown of Thorns released a studio album, ''Carnival'' (February 1989), using a line up of Wilson, Palmer and Rodgers, joined by Justin Brady on violin, Barbara Waters on guitar, vocals and

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

(ex-Hollowmen) and former bandmate Jones on drums. The album was produced by Wilson and Waters with Chris Thompson. McFarlane described it as a "more fully realised work than the debut. tmixed blues, country and folk with a great deal of verve and authority". It contained Wilson's composition "The Ballad of Slim Boy Fat", which was a "highlight" of the album with its "spectacular blues/gospel" style. In 1990 the group released another studio album, ''Babylon'', with Wilson, Rodgers and Waters joined by Ashley Davies on drums (ex-White Cross). Late in 1990 he formed a briefly existing group, The Pub Dogs, with Wilson on harmonica and lead vocals, Barry Palmer on electric and acoustic guitars, Graham Lee on pedal steel guitar and backing vocals (ex-

The Triffids The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo"The Triff ...

); and Marko Halstead on acoustic guitar, mandolin and backing vocals (of

The Blackeyed Susans ''For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.'' The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, which formed in Perth in 1989. Long serving members are Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals; and Rob Snarski on vo ...

). They issued a live EP, ''Scatter's Liver: Pub Dogs Live on the Wireless'' in the next year on Shock Records, which had been recorded at radio station

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

's studios in Melbourne on 22 October 1990.. In August 1991 Wilson provided lead vocals for the debut solo album by

Robin Casinader Robin Romesh Casinader is an Australian composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. He has been a member of many bands including Plays with Marionettes with Hugo Race, the Wreckery with Race and Nick Barker, and Dave Graney and the Coral Snak ...

(ex-

the Wreckery The Wreckery were an Australian rock and blues group which formed in January 1985 by Robin Casinader on drums, piano, Hammond organ, guitar and violin; Edward Clayton-Jones on guitar, organ and vocals; Tadeusz O'Biegly on bass guitar; Hugo Race ...

), ''All This Will Be Yours''.McFarlane, . Archived fro
the original
on 9 August 2004. Retrieved 28 November 2013.

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. The line-up were Wilson and Rodgers with Jen Anderson on violin (

The Black Sorrows The Black Sorrows are an Australian blues rock band formed in 1983 by mainstay vocalist Joe Camilleri (ex-Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons), who also plays saxophone and guitar. Camilleri has used various line-ups to record 17 albums, with five reaching ...

Rebecca Barnard Rebecca Chirnside Barnard (born 26 December 1960) is an Australian singer, songwriter, producer and musician. She was the lead singer of the band Rebecca's Empire from 1993 to 2000, and has forged a solo career since her debut album, ''Fortifie ...

on backing vocals (ex- Stephen Cummings Band),

Peter Luscombe Peter Luscombe is an Australian drummer and composer. Career Luscombe was a member of The Black Sorrows from 1985 to 1993 appearing on the albums ''A Place in the World'' (1986), ''Dear Children'' (1987), ''Hold on to Me'' (1988), ''Harley and ...

on drums (The Black Sorrows), and Shane O'Mara on guitars (Stephen Cummings Band). ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' reviewer, Mike Boehm, felt that on the album "he sometimes becomes bogged down with self-conscious attempts at poetic imagery, and that high-voltage vocal style can seem strident". In June 1992, Wilson and Crown of Thorns performed a combined tour promoting recent material. Laurie White caught their gig at

Tilley's Tilley's Devine Café Gallery is a well-known café in the suburb of Lyneham in Canberra, Australia. It was named after Matilda 'Tilly' Devine, an English Australian gangster and madame from Sydney. When the café first opened in 1984, it wa ...

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, hosings 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". Wilson followed with another EP, ''Alimony Blues'', in October; it had a cover version of Booker T. Jones' "

Born Under a Bad Sign ''Born Under a Bad Sign'' is the second compilation album by American blues musician Albert King, released in August 1967 by Stax Records. It features eleven electric blues songs that were recorded from March 1966 to June 1967, throughout fiv ...

", which McFarlane declared had Wilson's vocals "backed by 'Mara'sblistering guitar work, ndwas one of the finest renditions ever committed to record". In March 1993, Wilson and fellow Australian singer-songwriters Barnard, Kelly,

Archie Roach Archibald William Roach (8 January 1956 – 30 July 2022) was an Australian singer, songwriter and Aboriginal Australian, Aboriginal activist. Often referred to as "Uncle Archie", Roach was a Gunditjmara and Western Bundjalung people, Bundjalu ...

Deborah Conway Deborah Ann Conway (born 8 August 1959) is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actress. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their top 5 hit "Man Overboard". Conw ...

and

David Bridie David Ross Hope Bridie is an Australian contemporary musician and songwriter. He was a founding mainstay member of World music band Not Drowning, Waving which released six studio albums to critical acclaim. He also formed a chamber pop group, ...

each performed a set at a Hollywood concert, The Melbourne Shuffle. 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". As a performer Wilson showed "a dry, laconic wit between songs, ewas a fervent, let-it-all-out wailer when he began to sing". At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993, Wilson was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Male Artist and Breakthrough Artist – Album for ''Landlocked''. In June 1993 Wilson, Charlie Owen, and three former members of The Triffids: David McComb,

Robert McComb Robert Harold McComb is an Australian musician who played guitar, violin, organ, and other instruments with Perth-based rock group The Triffids, from 1979 to 1989. He is the older brother of the band's founder and lead singer-songwriter, Davi ...

and Graham Lee guested on Acuff's Rose's debut studio album, ''Never Comin' Down''.McFarlane, . Archived fro
the original
on 13 August 2004. Retrieved 28 November 2013. On 20 May 1994 Wilson's performance at the Continental Hotel in

Prahran Prahran (), also pronounced colloquially as Pran, is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Prahran recorded a po ...

was recorded for '' Live at the Continental'', which was released in October. The album provided Wilson with another nomination for Best Male Artist at the

ARIA Music Awards of 1995 The Ninth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1995 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. There had been a 18-month gap since the ...

. Wilson toured extensively and played at many festivals, both in Australia and overseas, and shared stages with

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, and with

. He provided backing vocals on the

Merril Bainbridge Merril Bainbridge (born 2 June 1968) is an Australian pop music singer and songwriter. Her debut was in 1994 with the single, "Mouth", which peaked at number one for six consecutive weeks in Australia and became a top five hit in the United State ...

song "

Under the Water "Under the Water" is a song written in 1990 by Owen Bolwell and Stanley Paulzen, produced by Siew for Australian singer-songwriter Merril Bainbridge's first album, '' The Garden'' (1995). The song is about a lover who drowned. The song was rel ...

" for her album ''The Garden'' (1995).

1996–2012: Continued success

In March 1996, Wilson Diesel released a collaborative album, '' Short Cool Ones'', on

Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival Mu ...

, with Wilson on lead vocals and harmonica, and Diesel on lead vocals and lead guitar. ''Short Cool Ones'' peaked at No. 18 on the

. McFarlane described it as including "15 soul and R&B standards ... and a sole original, 'Other Man'". "Other Man" was written by Diesel (aka Mark Lizotte). 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 Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors a ...

's ''Live on Stage'' felt ''Short Cool Ones'' was "one of the most successful blues albums in Australian history". Wilson's next solo album, ''The Long Weekend'', was released in March 1998 as a 2× CD set. McFarlane noted the album had "22 excellent tracks, tdrew on blues, gospel and country elements". In May Wilson supported Kelly at the Metro in Melbourne where Wilson was "crashing through a slightly hollow mix with a bunch of the good stuff, picking the eyes out of his recent ''Long Weekend'' thing, and throwing in some older selections – the 'best done by Elvis' Mystery Train being a big blow, as is the pump action 'Shoot Out at Seven Eleven', while the big ballady 'Too Many Hearts' again is a glory and must be a single, surely". At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1998 The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. Presenters, including Democrats deputy l ...

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. In January 1999 Wilson was a support act for

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

on an Australian tour. By 2000, Wilson had formed Chris Wilson and the Spidermen with Rodgers, Shannon Bourne on guitar, and Dave Folley on drums. 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. ''Rhythms Magazine''s readers' poll rated ''Spiderman'' as the Best Australian Blues Album of 2000. Melbourne Blues Rock website's Tim Slingsby reviewed the album in September 2011 and noted it was "a mix of covers and originals. ... he coversare 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". During May 2002 Wilson recorded his next album at two studios in Melbourne with

Kerryn Tolhurst Kerryn William Tolhurst (born 1948) is an Australian country rock musician, songwriter and producer. He was based in the United States from late 1970s to the late 1990s, although he periodically returned to Australia. He was a founder of the Au ...

producing. ''King for a Day'', which was released in July 2002. Along with Bourne, Folley and Rodgers, the album featured Tolhurst (guest guitars, piano, mandolin and

tipple A tipple is a structure used at a mine to load the extracted product (e.g., coal, ores) for transport, typically into railroad hopper cars. In the United States, tipples have been frequently associated with coal mines, but they have also been use ...

), 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 th
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 The Music Victoria Awards (previously known as The Age EG Awards and The Age Music Victoria Awards) are an annual awards night celebrating music from the Australian state of Victoria. They commenced in 2006 and are awarded in Melbourne Music W ...

' Hall of Fame.

Personal life and death

Wilson and his wife Sarah had two sons. He died 16 January 2019, having been diagnosed with

in 2018.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. , - , rowspan="2" , ARIA Music Awards of 1993 , rowspan="2" , ''Landlocked'' , ARIA Award for Best Male Artist , , - , ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album , , - ,

, ''Live at the Continental'' , ARIA Award for Best Male Artist , , - ,

, ''The Long Weekend'' , ARIA Award for Best Male Artist , , -

Blues Music Victoria Inc

On 30 October 2019, Wilson was inducted into the Blues Music Victoria Inc Hall of Fame as the 2019 Peoples Choice, Victorian Blues Legend , - , Blues Music Victoria Inc of 2020 , himself , Hall of Fame inductee (Peoples Choice, Victorian Blues Legend) ,

Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards is an annual awards ceremony celebrating Victorian music. In 2020, Wilson was inducted into its Hall of Fame. , - ,

Music Victoria Awards of 2013 The Music Victoria Awards of 2013 are the eighth Annual Music Victoria Awards and consist of a series of awards, culminating on 20 November 2013. Previously known as The Age EG Awards, 2013 was the first year under the title Music Victoria Awards ...

, ''Box of Blues'' (with Geoff Achison ) , Best Blues Albums , , - ,

Music Victoria Awards of 2020 The Music Victoria Awards of 2020 are the 15th Annual Music Victoria Awards and consist of a series of awards, presented on 8 December 2020. For the first time, an ''Outstanding Woman in Music Award'' and ''Best Producer Award'' will be awarded. ...

, himself , Hall of Fame inductee ,

References

;General * Note: Archived n-linecopy has limited functionality. ;Specific

External links

Portrait of Chris Wilson
by Jacquelin Mitelman, 1997. Held at

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Chris 1956 births 2019 deaths Australian songwriters Blues rock musicians Harmonica blues musicians 20th-century Australian musicians 21st-century Australian musicians Deaths from pancreatic cancer Deaths from cancer in Victoria (Australia) Musicians from Geelong People from Alphington, Victoria Australian harmonica players