Alan Wilson (musician)
Encyclopedia
Alan "Blind Owl" Christie Wilson (July 4, 1943 – September 3, 1970) was the leader, singer, and primary composer in the American
blues
band Canned Heat
. He played guitar and harmonica
, and wrote most of the songs for the band.
, Massachusetts
and grew up in the Boston suburb of Arlington. He majored in music at Boston University
and often played the Cambridge coffeehouse folk-blues circuit. He acquired the nickname "Blind Owl" owing to his extreme nearsightedness; in one instance when he was playing at a wedding, he laid his guitar on the wedding cake because he did not see it. As Canned Heat's drummer, Fito de la Parra, wrote in his book: "Without the glasses, Alan literally could not recognize the people he played with at two feet, that's how blind the 'Blind Owl' was."
s of the 1960s era, the Monterey Pop Festival
in 1967 and Woodstock
in 1969. Canned Heat appeared in the film Woodstock
, and the band's "Going Up the Country
," which Wilson sang, has been referred to as the festival's unofficial theme song. Wilson also wrote "On the Road Again
," arguably Canned Heat's second-most familiar song.
Wilson was a passionate conservationist who loved reading books on botany
and ecology
. He often slept outdoors to be closer to nature. In 1969, he wrote and recorded a song, "Poor Moon", which expressed concern over potential pollution of the moon. He wrote an essay called 'Grim Harvest', about the coastal redwood forests of California, which was printed as the liner notes to the Future Blues
album
by Canned Heat.
After Eddie 'Son' House
's 'rediscovery' in 1964, Wilson taught him how to play again the songs House had recorded in 1930 and 1942 (which he had forgotten over a long absence from music); House recorded for Columbia in 1965 and two of three selections featuring Wilson on harmonica and guitar appeared on the set. On the double album Hooker 'N Heat (1970), John Lee Hooker
is heard wondering how Wilson is capable of following Hooker's guitar playing so well. Hooker was known to be a difficult performer to accompany, partly because of his disregard of song form
. Yet Wilson seemed to have no trouble at all following him on this album. Hooker concludes that "you [Wilson] musta been listenin' to my records all your life". Hooker is also known to have stated "Wilson is the greatest harmonica player ever"
Stephen Stills
' song "Blues Man" from the album Manassas
is dedicated to Wilson, along with Jimi Hendrix
and Duane Allman
.
, California of a drug overdose at age 27
. Although Wilson had reportedly attempted suicide
twice before and his death is sometimes reported as a suicide, this is not clearly established as he left no note.
Rebecca Davis Winters, was published. In May 2010, Wilson fans from around the United States gathered in Colorado to discuss his music; this event was called the First Annual Alanological Conference.
On December 21, 2010, Wilson's very own website, AlanWilsonCannedHeat.com, was launched by some of his family members. Fans can find a lot of information pertaining to Alan on this site. Pages include Alan's Biography, information on instruments, interviews, videos, merchandise, and information on saving the redwood trees. There's also a forum for fans to discuss his life and music.
Alan was interested in preserving the natural world, particularly the redwood trees. When he died so too did the Music Mountain organization he had initiated dedicated to this purpose. In order to support his dream, Alan’s family has purchased a “grove naming” in his memory through the Save the Redwood League of California. The money gifted to create this memorial to Alan will be used by the League to support redwood reforestation, research, education, and land acquisition of both new and old growth redwoods. Once the grove is selected, a dedication plaque bearing his name will be placed there and Alan's family will post its location on the AlanWilsonCannedHeat.com website. They hope it will serve as a living, tangible remembrance of Alan; a place his family, friends, and fans may enjoy visiting someday to feel Alan’s spirit and share his reverence for the “tallest living things on Earth, nearly the oldest, and among the most beautiful to boot.” Fans interested in making a donation can visit the site at AlanWilsonCannedHeat.com and click the link under the "Redwoods tab" on the main site.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
band Canned Heat
Canned Heat
Canned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists...
. He played guitar and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, and wrote most of the songs for the band.
Early years
Wilson was born in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and grew up in the Boston suburb of Arlington. He majored in music at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and often played the Cambridge coffeehouse folk-blues circuit. He acquired the nickname "Blind Owl" owing to his extreme nearsightedness; in one instance when he was playing at a wedding, he laid his guitar on the wedding cake because he did not see it. As Canned Heat's drummer, Fito de la Parra, wrote in his book: "Without the glasses, Alan literally could not recognize the people he played with at two feet, that's how blind the 'Blind Owl' was."
Canned Heat
With Canned Heat, Wilson performed at two prominent concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s of the 1960s era, the Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
in 1967 and Woodstock
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
in 1969. Canned Heat appeared in the film Woodstock
Woodstock (film)
Woodstock is a 1970 American documentary on the Woodstock Festival that took place in August 1969 at Bethel in New York. Entertainment Weekly called this film the benchmark of concert movies and one of the most entertaining documentaries ever made...
, and the band's "Going Up the Country
Going Up the Country
"Going Up the Country" is a song performed by the American blues-rock group Canned Heat. It appeared on their album Living the Blues and was also released as a single, reaching #11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, #19 on UK Singles Chart and number one in 25 other countries...
," which Wilson sang, has been referred to as the festival's unofficial theme song. Wilson also wrote "On the Road Again
On the Road Again (Canned Heat song)
"On the Road Again," a song recorded by the American blues rock group Canned Heat, was released as a single in April 1968, and appeared on their 1968 album Boogie with Canned Heat as well as the 1969 compilation The Canned Heat Cookbook...
," arguably Canned Heat's second-most familiar song.
Wilson was a passionate conservationist who loved reading books on botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
. He often slept outdoors to be closer to nature. In 1969, he wrote and recorded a song, "Poor Moon", which expressed concern over potential pollution of the moon. He wrote an essay called 'Grim Harvest', about the coastal redwood forests of California, which was printed as the liner notes to the Future Blues
Future Blues (Canned Heat album)
Future Blues is the fifth album by Canned Heat, released in 1970. It was the last to feature original member and songwriter Alan Wilson. Their cover of "Let's Work Together" by Wilbert Harrison became a hit. "London Blues" features Dr. John...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Canned Heat.
After Eddie 'Son' House
Son House
Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. was an American blues singer and guitarist. House pioneered an innovative style featuring strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of slide guitar, and his singing often incorporated elements of southern gospel and spiritual music...
's 'rediscovery' in 1964, Wilson taught him how to play again the songs House had recorded in 1930 and 1942 (which he had forgotten over a long absence from music); House recorded for Columbia in 1965 and two of three selections featuring Wilson on harmonica and guitar appeared on the set. On the double album Hooker 'N Heat (1970), John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
is heard wondering how Wilson is capable of following Hooker's guitar playing so well. Hooker was known to be a difficult performer to accompany, partly because of his disregard of song form
Song structure (popular music)
The structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional, repeating forms, such as strophic form. Other common forms include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve bar blues...
. Yet Wilson seemed to have no trouble at all following him on this album. Hooker concludes that "you [Wilson] musta been listenin' to my records all your life". Hooker is also known to have stated "Wilson is the greatest harmonica player ever"
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
' song "Blues Man" from the album Manassas
Manassas (album)
Manassas is the 1972 debut double album from Stephen Stills' band of the same name."It Doesn't Matter" was released as a single and peaked at #61...
is dedicated to Wilson, along with Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
.
Death
Wilson died in Topanga CanyonTopanga, California
Topanga is a census-designated place in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. It is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Occupying Topanga Canyon, it is often referred to by that name. Topanga is bounded on three sides by State Park or conservancy lands, and on the south by the Pacific...
, California of a drug overdose at age 27
27 Club
The 27 Club—also occasionally known as the Forever 27 Club, Club 27 or the Curse of 27—is the title for a group of popular musicians who all died at the age of 27...
. Although Wilson had reportedly attempted suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
twice before and his death is sometimes reported as a suicide, this is not clearly established as he left no note.
Biography and commentary
In July 2007, Wilson's biography, Blind Owl Blues, by music journalistMusic journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
Rebecca Davis Winters, was published. In May 2010, Wilson fans from around the United States gathered in Colorado to discuss his music; this event was called the First Annual Alanological Conference.
On December 21, 2010, Wilson's very own website, AlanWilsonCannedHeat.com, was launched by some of his family members. Fans can find a lot of information pertaining to Alan on this site. Pages include Alan's Biography, information on instruments, interviews, videos, merchandise, and information on saving the redwood trees. There's also a forum for fans to discuss his life and music.
Alan was interested in preserving the natural world, particularly the redwood trees. When he died so too did the Music Mountain organization he had initiated dedicated to this purpose. In order to support his dream, Alan’s family has purchased a “grove naming” in his memory through the Save the Redwood League of California. The money gifted to create this memorial to Alan will be used by the League to support redwood reforestation, research, education, and land acquisition of both new and old growth redwoods. Once the grove is selected, a dedication plaque bearing his name will be placed there and Alan's family will post its location on the AlanWilsonCannedHeat.com website. They hope it will serve as a living, tangible remembrance of Alan; a place his family, friends, and fans may enjoy visiting someday to feel Alan’s spirit and share his reverence for the “tallest living things on Earth, nearly the oldest, and among the most beautiful to boot.” Fans interested in making a donation can visit the site at AlanWilsonCannedHeat.com and click the link under the "Redwoods tab" on the main site.
Discography
- Father of the Delta Blues: The Complete 1965 Sessions, w/ Son House 1965
- The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party & Other ExcursionsThe Great San Bernardino Birthday Party & Other ExcursionsMusic critic Glenn Astarita, writing for All About Jazz said that "despite the inferior audio quality on some of these tracks, it is always a joy to hear this great musician reinvent previously explored terrain. Here, we are provided with a snapshot of a period in music when The Beatles were hot,...
, w/ John Fahey 1966 - Vintage HeatVintage (Canned Heat album)Vintage was the first album recorded by Canned Heat in 1966, although it did not see actual release until 1970 under Janus Records. Produced by rhythm & blues legend, Johnny Otis, the album featured Muddy Waters/Elmore James' song "Rollin' and Tumblin'" recorded with and without Alan Wilson's...
Canned Heat 1966, Janus Records - Canned HeatCanned Heat (album)Canned Heat is the 1967 debut album by Canned Heat. It was released shortly after their appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival, and features performances of several blues covers....
Canned Heat 1967, Liberty Records - Fred Neil w/ Fred Neil 1967, Capitol Records
- Boogie with Canned HeatBoogie with Canned HeatBoogie with Canned Heat is the second album by Canned Heat, released in 1968. Unlike their debut, it features mostly original material. It included the top 10 hit "On the Road Again," one of their best known songs. "Amphetamine Annie," a warning about the dangers of amphetamine abuse, also...
Canned Heat, 1968, Liberty Records - Living the BluesLiving the BluesLiving the Blues is the third album by Canned Heat, a double album released in 1968. It was one of the first double albums to place well on album charts. It features Canned Heat's signature song, "Going Up the Country," which would later be used in the Woodstock film. John Mayall appears on...
Canned Heat, 1968, Liberty Records - Woodstock w/ Canned Heat, 1969, Warner Bros. Records
- HallelujahHallelujah (album)Hallelujah is the fourth album by Canned Heat, released in 1969. It was re-released on CD in 2001 by MAM productions with four bonus tracks.-Track listing:#"Same All Over" – 2:51#"Change My Ways" – 2:47...
Canned Heat, 1969, Liberty Records - Slim's Got His Thing Going On w/ Sunnyland SlimSunnyland SlimAlbert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew was an American blues pianist, who was born in the Mississippi Delta, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois, to contribute to that city's post-war scene as a center for blues music...
, 1969 World Pacific Records - Cookbook: Their Greatest Hits Canned Heat, 1970
- Live at the Kaleidoscope 1969 Canned Heat, 1971, (Originally released as Live at Topanga Corral), Wand Records
- Future BluesFuture Blues (Canned Heat album)Future Blues is the fifth album by Canned Heat, released in 1970. It was the last to feature original member and songwriter Alan Wilson. Their cover of "Let's Work Together" by Wilbert Harrison became a hit. "London Blues" features Dr. John...
Canned Heat, 1970, Liberty Records - Live '70 Concert in Europe Canned Heat, 1970
- John The Revelator: The 1970 London Sessions w/ Son House, 1970, Vequel Records (re-released in 1995 on Capital Records as Delta Blues and Spirituals)
- Hooker 'N Heat Canned Heat w/ John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
, 1971, Liberty Records - Other Canned Heat Compilations e.g. The Boogie House Tapes Vol.I, II and III.
Further reading
- Rebecca Davis Winters, "Blind Owl Blues: The Mysterious Life and Death of Blues Legend Alan Wilson" (2007) ISBN 978-0-615-14617-1
- Fito De La Parra, Living The Blues. Canned Heat's story of Music, Drugs, Death, Sex and Survival (2000) ISBN 0-9676449-0-9
- Boogie with Canned Heat: The Canned Heat Story, a documentary (on DVD, Eagle Ent., 2007)