Charlie Wilson

Known first as the lead vocalist of The Gap Band, then as a solo artist and frequent hip-hop collaborator, Charlie Wilson is among the most celebrated R&B and funk singers to have emerged in the 1970s. • After singing together in their minister father’s church as kids, Wilson and his brothers, Robert and Ronnie, formed The Gap Band in 1967. The group released its first album, Magician’s Holiday, in 1974. • The Gap Band released 15 studio albums during a 43-year run and had a string of prominent R&B hits in the ’80s with songs like “Oops Upside Your Head,” “Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me),” “Early in the Morning,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me,” and “Outstanding.” • Wilson began releasing solo albums with 1992’s You Turn My Life Around. • He’s contributed to 14 of rapper Snoop Dogg’s songs since featuring on “Groupie,” from 1996’s The Doggfather. Snoop calls him “Uncle Charlie.” • Each of his six solo albums from 2005’s Charlie, Last Name Wilson to 2017’s went Top 10 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. • Wilson has been nominated for 13 Grammys as a solo artist. He received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.