Meet Richard Wilson | Soulful Blues Songwriter and Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, how do you think about risk?
Forging a path as an original soulful blues songwriter and performer has been all about taking risks! Its not a profession for the faint hearted – but if you are committed to your art and vision – you HAVE to follow your creative destiny!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always focused on my original songwriting. It really stems from the old Punk and New Wave days in the late 70’s UK – where if you had a band – you would present your original sound and songs – and if you were good enough, get on the pub and college circuit and start playing gigs.
It was a baptism of fire, as those early gigs being in an edgy New Wave band with some hostile audiences made the gig…interesting!
At the time we were influenced by The Police and prog bands like Yes.
Those early gigs with me as singer and bass player gave me a lot of experience playing live and projecting confidence on stage.
Over time – my sound and writing evolved to soulful blues via Neo Soul in the 80’s and 90’s.
I also switched to electric guitar and play solo shows now.
Keeping a band together is a lot of work and I have worked on my sound where I can convey my tunes live – just me and Fender Telecaster into a Fender Blues Jr tube amp.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well – Memphis has a vibrant music scene and is a melting pot of genres with a rich history.. I would visit the music museums with interactive exhibits: Stax Museum of American Soul , Blues Foundation,Rock and Soul Museum and of course Sun Records.
Beale Street is a must – hang out at BB Kings or go upstairs to Itta Bena for a great dinner and jazz.
South Main Sounds at 550 S.Main St Memphis – is also a must see for original songwriters and performers.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would say my mother was my first mentor. She bought me my first guitar and harmonica whilst I was trying to be one of the Beatles.
In the 60’s and 70’s The Beatles would be on British TV regularly on various variety and talk shows -so my passion was ignited after seeing that!
After that – both my parents put up with me rehearsing and singing with friends at home – as I perfected my craft.

Website: https://richardwilsonmusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardwilsonmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardWilsonMusicUK/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@richardwilsonsoulfulblues

Other: https://richardwilson1.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Pamela Walker