R&B singer Charlie “Uncle Charlie” Wilson—
INFLUENTIAL American R&B singer Charlie “Uncle Charlie” Wilson was in Jamaica last week to record songs with reggae crooner Beres Hammond at Hammond’s Harmony House studio.
The songs are for a forthcoming project by Wilson, who was excited about working with the Jamaican star.
“What brought me to Jamaica was Beres Hammond so, I’m here to work with Beres. I’ve been wanting to work with him for many, many years and this is the chance I have. The camaraderie and the excitement is on both sides. He and I are just having so much fun in the studio so I’m happy,” Wilson shared.
He said the recording sessions with keyboardists Robbie Lyn and Bowie McLaughlin, guitarist Mitchum “Khan” Chin, and drummer Kirk Bennett, went well.
“Beres is an approachable and loveable guy. We are having so much fun. I’m leaving today [Friday] and I just hate to leave this place. I just wish I could be here at least a month working with Beres. He’s fast at writing and he’s accurate. That’s what I like.”
Reggae singer Beres Hammond (right) shares a moment with American R&B act Charlie Wiilson.
It wasn’t Wilson’s first time in Jamaica, however it was his first time in the the country’s capital. His lone live performance was at the 2015 Jazz and Blues Festival at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium.
“This is my first time in Kingston. I’ve been to Jamaica a few times and the experience has been wonderful. Jamaica is a country that I like. I love the culture, I love the people, I love the music and I definitely love the food,” said the elder R&B statesman.
He added that, “My favorite dish is curried goat but I also like the fresh fish and lobster, oxtail and, of course, jerk chicken. I know stateside that a lot of people think they know how to cook Jamaican food, but they don’t have the right spices.”
Wilson is best known as co-founder and lead singer of iconic funk trio, The Gap Band, which included his two brothers. He has dabbled before in reggae.
In 2015 he collaborated with Shaggy on the track Unforgettable which samples Bob Marley’s Waiting in Vain. The song was on Wilson’s seventh studio album Forever Charlie, which debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. It was also nominated for Best R&B Album at the 58th Grammy Awards.
“I enjoyed working with Shaggy,” said Wilson. “He was a lot of fun; he wasn’t stuck-up. He was an approachable and down to earth young man. Jamaican people are real cool people.”
Wilson and his brothers Robert and Ronnie started The Gap Band in the early 1970s in their home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Among their hit songs are Outstanding, Burn Rubber on Me, Early in The Morning (their biggest pop hit, reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982), You Dropped A Bomb on Me and Yearning For Your Love.
In 2010 the group stopped performing following Robert’s death. Ronnie died last year.
A 13-time Grammy awardee, Wilson’s solo hits include Forever Valentine, One I Got, Without You and the chart-topping There Goes My Baby. They helped connect him with a new generation of fans as he has collaborated with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, rapper Tyler, The Creator and Kanye West.
Wilson’s recent single, No Stopping Us Now features Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Johnny Gill and K-Ci Hailey formerly of Jodeci. The single rose to number 22 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart.
“I’ve never stopped recording. I have a new record out called No Stopping Us Now and the numbers on YouTube are moving fast. We’ve gone over a million views and I’m so happy about that one. It’s a summertime record,” said Wilson.
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