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Cindy Wilson
Cindy Wilson
American recording artist; singer, songwriter
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The B-52's
The B-52's
American rock band
2
Kate Pierson
Kate Pierson
American singer, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist
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Fred Schneider
Fred Schneider
American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician
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Keith Strickland
Keith Strickland
American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer
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Even in Blackouts
Even in Blackouts
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Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine
American singer, songwriter and guitarist
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Pylon
Pylon
US rock band
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Television
Television
American post-punk band
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The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Men They Couldn't Hang
band
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R.E.M.
R.E.M.
American alternative rock band
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Junior Senior
Junior Senior
Danish pop duo
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Man Man
Man Man
band that plays experimental rock
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Vanessa Briscoe Hay
Vanessa Briscoe Hay
American singer and songwriter for the bands Pylon and Supercluster
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Peter Buck
Peter Buck
guitarist for R.E.M., songwriter, record producer
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The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo
American psychedelic pop and indie rock band
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Sweet Comfort Band
Sweet Comfort Band
American Christian rock band
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Magnapop
Magnapop
American pop punk band formed in 1989
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Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
American rock band
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Geraint Watkins
Geraint Watkins
Welsh musician
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The Gap Band
The Gap Band
American R&B and funk band
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The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control
American rock band
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Helix
Helix
hard rock band
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Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus
American musician
Ricky Wilson
American musician, guitarist with The B52s (1953-1985)

Ricky Wilson

Intro
American musician, guitarist with The B52s (1953-1985)
Genres
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Ricky Helton Wilson (March 19, 1953 – October 12, 1985) was an American musician best known as the original guitarist and founding member of rock band the B-52's. Born in Athens, Georgia, Wilson was the brother of fellow member Cindy Wilson. The B-52's were founded in 1976, when Ricky, his sister Cindy, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Fred Schneider shared a tropical flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant and, after an impromptu music session at the home of their friend Owen Scott III, played for the first time at a Valentine's Day party for friends. Wilson's unusual guitar tunings were a large contribution to the band's quirky sound.

On October 12, 1985, at the age of 32, Wilson died from complications related to AIDS following the recording of the band's fourth studio album Bouncing Off the Satellites. According to Strickland, the album had been completed and mixed before Wilson's death, with only the cover art not yet designed (an illustration by Kenny Scharf was ultimately decided upon). Devastated, the band went into seclusion and did not tour to promote the album, though they did several photo shoots and TV appearances and filmed a video for "Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland".

In addition to his work with the B-52's, Wilson played the guitar on the song "Breakin' in My Heart" on Tom Verlaine's self-titled debut album in 1979. This was his only non-B-52's appearance on record. He also appeared in various films, notably One Trick Pony. Posthumously, he also appeared in Athens, GA: Inside/Out, The B-52's 1979–1989, and The B-52's Time Capsule: Videos for a Future Generation 1979–1998 through archival footage.