Bernard Wilson (singer)
Encyclopedia
Bernard Wilson was a second tenor
and baritone
R&B, funk
and soul music
vocalist, who was a member of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
, and thus helped to define the “Sound of Philadelphia
” in the 1970s.
neighberhood. His parents died while Wilson was still young and he was thereafter raised by his grandmother. He attended Bok Technical High School, but left home at the age of 16 to seek fame and fortune as an entertainer. In 1970, Wilson joined the evolving line-up of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, which featured Harold Melvin – another native of Philadelphia. With the addition of Teddy Pendergrass
to the group and the release of their first record, the Bluenotes achieved great success. Their self-titled LP with Philadelphia International Records
overseen by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, landed three singles on the Billboard
charts
. It was this early-to-mid 1970s lineup that had such hits as "If You Don't Know Me by Now
," "The Love I Lost
," "Don't Leave Me This Way
," and "Bad Luck." Other chart toppers for the band such as "I Miss You" and "Wake Up Everybody
, from their5 self-titled platinum record soon followed. Wilson stayed with the Bluenotes through six albums and then left the group in 1977, shortly after Teddy Pendergrass's departure, to pursue a solo career.
and heart attack
.
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
R&B, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
vocalist, who was a member of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco...
, and thus helped to define the “Sound of Philadelphia
Philadelphia soul
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia Sound or Sweet Philly, is a style of soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns. The subtle sound of a glockenspiel can often be heard in the background of...
” in the 1970s.
Early career
Wilson was a North Philadelphia native who grew up in the Strawberry MansionStrawberry Mansion
Strawberry Mansion could refer to:*Historic Strawberry Mansion, historic house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*Nannie Lee House, historic house in Melbourne, Florida - also known as the Strawberry Mansion...
neighberhood. His parents died while Wilson was still young and he was thereafter raised by his grandmother. He attended Bok Technical High School, but left home at the age of 16 to seek fame and fortune as an entertainer. In 1970, Wilson joined the evolving line-up of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, which featured Harold Melvin – another native of Philadelphia. With the addition of Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
to the group and the release of their first record, the Bluenotes achieved great success. Their self-titled LP with Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...
overseen by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, landed three singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. It was this early-to-mid 1970s lineup that had such hits as "If You Don't Know Me by Now
If You Don't Know Me By Now
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and recorded by the jersey soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which became their first hit after being released as a single in 1972 topping the R&B chart and peaking at number three on the Pop chart.The...
," "The Love I Lost
The Love I Lost
"The Love I Lost" is a soul/disco song by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Originally written as a ballad by Philly soul songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the song was transformed into a disco song. It was released from the Black & Blue album in late 1973...
," "Don't Leave Me This Way
Don't Leave Me This Way
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both...
," and "Bad Luck." Other chart toppers for the band such as "I Miss You" and "Wake Up Everybody
Wake Up Everybody
-Personnel:*Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass, Bernard Wilson, Lawrence Brown, Jerry Cummings – vocals*Sharon Paige – female vocalist on "You Know How to Make Me Feel So Good" and "I'm Searching for a Love"*MFSB – music-Charts:Album...
, from their5 self-titled platinum record soon followed. Wilson stayed with the Bluenotes through six albums and then left the group in 1977, shortly after Teddy Pendergrass's departure, to pursue a solo career.
Later career
Wilson had hoped to recover from his illnesses and sing gospel, however the last time he performed was during the 1990s, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.Death
Wilson died on December 26, 2010, at the age of sixty-four, due to complications of a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
With Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes
- Harold Melvin & The Blue NotesHarold Melvin & the Blue Notes (album)-Personnel:*Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass, Bernard Wilson, Lawrence Brown, Lloyd Parks – vocals*Leon Huff – piano*Leonard Pakula – organ*Ronnie Baker – bass*Earl Young – drums...
(1972) - Black & BlueBlack & Blue (album)Black & Blue is an album released by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes on the Philadelphia International record label in Septembeer 1973. It was produced by Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff....
(1973) - To Be TrueTo Be True-Personnel:*Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass, Bernard Wilson, Lawrence Brown, Jerry Cummings – vocals*Sharon Paige – female vocalist on "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon"*MFSB – music-Charts:AlbumSingles-Samples:...
(1975) - Wake Up EverybodyWake Up Everybody-Personnel:*Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass, Bernard Wilson, Lawrence Brown, Jerry Cummings – vocals*Sharon Paige – female vocalist on "You Know How to Make Me Feel So Good" and "I'm Searching for a Love"*MFSB – music-Charts:Album...
(1975) - Reaching for the World (1976)
- Now Is the Time (1977)
Sources
- Bernard Wilson at Find A Grave (includes photo)
External links
- Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes Live (1973) on YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxMfgORHqf8
- Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes AllMusic entryhttp://www.allmusic.com/artist/harold-melvin-the-blue-notes-p196968