Charlie Wilson

Musician and lead singer of the Gap Band Charlie Wilson was born on January 29, 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The son of a reverend, he and his brothers Ronnie and Robert grew up singing in the church choir. In 1967 Wilson and his brothers formed the Gap Band. Recording at the historic Church Studio in Tulsa, they released their first album "Magicians Holiday" (1974). Over the next twenty years the band would release more than a dozen albums, producing multiple hits such as "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" (1982), "Party Train" (1983) and "Burn Rubber on Me" (1980).

Charlie Wilson embarked on an R&B solo career in the 90s and saw further success. His debut solo album "Bridging the Gap" (2000) with its popular single "Without You" earned him a deal with Jive Records. His 2005 album "Charlie, Last Name Wilson" was certified gold and featured collaborations with artists like Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, will.i.am and R. Kelly. The popularity of his music, both with the Gap Band and as a soloist, left an enduring legacy. His music has been sampled by dozens of artists since the 90s from Madonna to Tyler, the Creator. As one of the most sought after collaboration artists, Wilson earned the endearing nickname, Uncle Charlie from Snoop Dogg. Charlie Wilson was presented with The Lifetime Achievement Award from BET in 2013.