Ricky Wilson (1953-1985)
Ricky Wilson (1953-1985)f Ricky Helton Wilson was born on March 19th, 1953 in Athens, Georgia. He was best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the B-52’s. Ricky, his sister, and a few of their friends founded the group in 1976. The bands unusual sound is credited to Ricky’s unusual guitar tunings amongst other things. He played on a custom guitar with the two middle strings removed for a unique open tuning. Ricky also worked with Tom Verlaine and appeared in many movies. Accomplishments: The B-52's evoked a "thrift shop aesthetic", in the words of Bernard Gendron, by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop sources, trash culture, and rock and roll. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call and response style vocals, and their guitar and keyboard-driven instrumentation composes their trademark sound. The band has had many hits, including "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Private Idaho", "Legal Tender...