Carnie Wilson (born April 29, 1968) is an American singer and television personality. She is the daughter of Brian Wilson and in 1989 co-founded the pop music trio

Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips is an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The group consists of Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of t ...

with her younger sister

Wendy Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

. From 1995 onwards, she has also been a host or guest star on a variety of television shows.

Early life and musical career

Carnie Wilson was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

on April 29, 1968, the daughter of Brian Wilson of

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

and of his first wife, former singer

Marilyn Rovell Marilyn may refer to: * Marilyn (given name) * Marilyn (singer) (born 1962), English singer * Marilyn (hill), a type of mountain or hill in the British Isles with a prominence above 150 m * 1486 Marilyn, a Main-belt asteroid * ''Marilyn'' (19 ...

The Honeys The Honeys (originally the Rovell Sisters) were an American girl group, formed in Los Angeles in 1958, that initially comprised sisters Marilyn, Diane, and Barbara Rovell. Barbara was later replaced by their cousin, Ginger Blake. After 1962, ...

. Her mother is of Jewish heritage, while her father is of Dutch, Scottish, English, German, Irish, and Swedish ancestry. She co-founded

with her younger sister

and childhood friend

Chynna Phillips Chynna Gilliam Phillips (born February 12, 1968) is an American singer and actress, and a member of the vocal group Wilson Phillips. She is the daughter of the Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips and half-sister of Macken ...

when they were in their teens. They released two albums, ''

'' and '' Shadows and Light'', which between them sold twelve million copies. The group also charted three No. 1 singles and six top 20 hits in the United States before disbanding in 1993. Carnie & Wendy Wilson continued to record together, releasing the Christmas album '' Hey Santa!'' in 1993. They joined with their father for the 1997 album '' The Wilsons''. Carnie also sang "Our Time Has Come" with

James Ingram James Edward Ingram (February 16, 1952 – January 29, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a two-time Grammy Award-winner and a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song. After beginning his career ...

for the 1997 animated film ''

Cats Don't Dance ''Cats Don't Dance'' is a 1997 American animated musical comedy-drama film directed by Mark Dindal (in his feature directorial debut). It is the only fully animated feature produced by Turner Feature Animation, which was merged during the post-p ...

''. In 2003, Carnie attempted to launch a solo music career with the album ''For the First Time''. The record featured a remake of the Olivia DiNucci-penned

Samantha Mumba Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba (born 18 January 1983) is an Irish singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, fashion model and TV presenter. In 2000, at the age of 17, she shot to fame with the release of her debut single " Gotta Tell You", which ...

ballad "

Don't Need You To (Tell Me I'm Pretty) "Don't Need You To (Tell Me I'm Pretty)" is a song by Irish singer Samantha Mumba. The single was released exclusively in the United States as Mumba's second single, and as the fourth overall single from her debut studio album ''Gotta Tell You'' ...

", retitled "I Don't Need You To", as its first single. However, the single failed to gain interest and the album was ultimately shelved when Carnie regrouped with Wendy and Chynna as Wilson Phillips in 2004. Reunited, the band released a third album, named ''California'', which appeared on

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainme ...

's record label. The album featured cover songs, primarily from the 1960s and 1970s, and specifically highlighted the glory days of their parents' California-based musical groups:

The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock vocal group formed in Los Angeles, California, which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group consisted of Am ...

and

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

. In 2006, Carnie released an album of

lullabies A lullaby (), or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to pass down cultural knowledg ...

, ''A Mother's Gift: Lullabies from the Heart'', created shortly after the birth of her daughter, Lola. She released her second solo effort in October 2007, a Christmas album entitled '' Christmas with Carnie'', featuring a song written by her husband, "Warm Lovin' Christmastime".

Television career

From 1995 to 1996, Carnie hosted her own short-lived syndicated television talk show, ''

Carnie! ''Carnie!'' (also spelled without an exclamation mark as ''Carnie'' and also referred as ''The Carnie Wilson Show'') is an American daytime talk show hosted by Carnie Wilson that aired for one season from 1995 until 1996. The program was a produ ...

'' The series was launched during the mid-1990s wave of popularity in "tabloid" talk shows, which followed the sudden successes of

Ricki Lake Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film ''Hairspray'', for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for B ...

and

Jerry Springer Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...

. Former ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' magazine's Bachelor-of-the-Month

Chris Greeley Christian D. Greeley is a former representative in the Maine state legislature. He was a Republican. He represented District 22 in the House of Representatives for four consecutive two-year terms, from 2002 to 2010, at which point he was prohibit ...

was a guest on the television pilot. Wilson found the experience a disappointment and a source of professional and personal frustration. She later guest-starred on episodes of ''

That 70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television period teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, fr ...

'' in 2001 and ''

Sabrina the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appear ...

'', before joining the fourth season of VH1's ''

Celebrity Fit Club ''Celebrity Fit Club'' is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are given different physical challenges, and weighed t ...

'' in 2006. Wilson has also been a correspondent on '' Entertainment Tonight'' and in 2006 hosted a special on E! titled ''101 Celebrity Slimdowns''. She became a cast member of the CMT series '' Gone Country'' in January 2008. In April 2008, she was a cast member of the VH1 series '' Celebracadabra''. In July 2008, she starred in a show called '' Outsider's Inn''. She hosted GSN's new edition of ''

The Newlywed Game ''The Newlywed Game'' is an American television game show that puts newly married couples against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know or do not know each other. The program, originally create ...

'', which premiered April 6, 2009, until late 2010, when she was replaced by

Sherri Shepherd Sherri Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, broadcaster, and television personality. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, '' Sherri''. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host of the da ...

. In addition, a reality show starring Wilson, '' Carnie Wilson: Unstapled'', began airing on the Game Show Network on January 14, 2010. In August 2011, Wilson became a judge on the ABC show ''Karaoke Battle USA''. On January 2, 2012, she appeared on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

Celebrity Wife Swap ''Wife Swap'' is an American reality television program that was first broadcast on ABC in 2004 based on the British show with the same name. In the program, two families, usually from different social classes and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers ...

'', trading places with actress

Tracey Gold Tracey Gold (born May 16, 1969) is an American actress and former child star known for playing Carol Seaver on the 1980s sitcom ''Growing Pains''. Acting career Tracey Gold became an actress at the age of four, first appearing in a Pepsi print ...

for a week. In the spring of 2012, Carnie along with her sister

and childhood friend

starred in their own reality show on the

TV Guide Network The American cable and satellite television network Pop was originally launched in 1981 as a barker channel service providing a display of localized channel and program listings for cable television providers. Later on, the service, branded Prev ...

about the rebirth of their band, Wilson Phillips. The show, called ''Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On'', logged the journey of the trio getting back together to reform Wilson Phillips on the road, in the studio, and at home as working mothers. A pilot episode aired in November 2011. Seven additional episodes aired in April and May 2012. Wilson starred in the ''

Chopped Chopped can have the following meanings: * Chopped and screwed Chopped and screwed (also called screwed and chopped or slowed and throwed) is a music genre and technique of remixing music that involves slowing down the tempo and deejaying. It ...

'' "All Stars: Celebrities" episode and got to second place. In 2013, Carnie became a member of "Team

Rachael Rachel ( he, רָחֵל, Modern: Raḥel, Tiberian: Rāḫēl, Rāḥēl), meaning " ewe", is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, popularized by the biblical figure Rachel, the wife of Israelite patriarch Jacob. Ashkenazi Jewish matronymic ...

" on the second season of the

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ( ...

's '' Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off''. She came in second to

Dean McDermott Dean McDermott (born November 16, 1966) is a Canadian actor best known as a reality television personality with his wife, actress Tori Spelling, and as the host of the cooking competition ''Chopped Canada''. He played the role of Constable Renfi ...

and won $10,000 for her charity, an autism research foundation. She also frequently fills in as a guest host on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

's '' The Talk''. In 2015, she played herself as an auto insurance claimant on a

Progressive Insurance The Progressive Corporation is an American insurance company, the third largest insurance carrier and the No. 1 commercial auto insurer in the United States. The company was co-founded in 1937 by Jack Green and Joseph M. Lewis, and is headquar ...

TV commercial. On January 28, 2016, it was announced that she is going to be a contestant on ''

The New Celebrity Apprentice ''The New Celebrity Apprentice'' (also known simply as ''The Apprentice'') was the eighth and final installment of the reality game show ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', thus making it the fifteenth and final installment of ''The Apprentice'' as a w ...

'' (also known as ''The Apprentice 15'' and ''

Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...

'' 8). On January 2, 2017, Wilson was the second contestant fired, finishing in fifteenth place, earning no money for her charity, ''The Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America''. In July 2016, Wilson Phillips reunited and performed on ABC's ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

''. In February 2017, Wilson made a guest appearance on the reality show ''

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' (abbreviated ''RHOBH'') is an American reality television series which has been broadcast on Bravo since October 14, 2010. Developed as the sixth installment in ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has ...

''.

Personal life

Marriage & family

Wilson married musician and producer Robert Bonfiglio in 2000. They have daughters Lola, born in April 2005, and Luciana, born in June 2009. Her uncles were

Dennis Wilson Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...

and Carl Wilson. She is a cousin to Beach Boys co-founder

Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bas ...

and his brother, former NBA player Stan Love, as well as Stan's son, Cleveland Cavaliers player

Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star Game, All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA ...

Bell's palsy diagnosis

On March 18, 2013, Wilson disclosed, through

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, that she had been diagnosed with Bell's palsy.

Love Bites by Carnie

On August 26, 2017, Carnie and her business partner, childhood friend Tiffany Miller, opened Love Bites by Carnie, a commercial production bakery in

Sherwood, Oregon Sherwood is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the southeast corner of the county, it is a residential community in the Tualatin Valley, southwest of Portland. As of the 2010 census, Sherwood had a population of 18,1 ...

, a suburb of Portland. Love Bites by Carnie makes gourmet, bite-sized cookies.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Carnie 1968 births American women pop singers American game show hosts American people of Dutch descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Jewish descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Swedish descent Brian Wilson Living people Participants in American reality television series Singers from Los Angeles Carnie Wilson Phillips members The Apprentice (franchise) contestants