Alex Wilson grew up in a family of talented musicians.
Alex’s grandmother, Rosa Saviano was a renowned professional jazz singer in Chicago in the 1940′s and 50′s. Tom Wilson, Alex’s father, is a multi-faceted musician who has had the distinct pleasure of accompanying nearly every blues performer to pass through the Milwaukee/Chicago music scene in the last thirty years. Marc Wilson, Alex’s uncle AND drummer, is one of the most sought after drummers in the country. He’s played with B.B.King, Big Walter Horton, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Rodgers, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Susan Tedeschi, Anson Funderburgh and Sam Meyers to name but a few.
Alex picked up the guitar at five years old and never put it down. Immersed in the Milwaukee blues scene, Alex was surrounded, and influenced by such local luminaries as Stokes, Lee Gates, Jim Liban and Milwaukee Slim.
Alex formed his own garage band at thirteen. By seventeen he began to dig deep into the blues, learning the songs and styles of masters such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix and Magic Sam.
At seventeen Alex began playing professionally and by twenty-one he had joined Milwaukee’s Blue Rubies and was performing regionally while still playing part-time with his own band. Playing up to 25 gigs a month, Wilson honed and sharpened his skills as a singer/songwriter, guitar player and over all entertainer.
In ’05 and ’06 Alex began to focus solely on his own project, booking shows, finding his own sound and the right players from the mid-west music scene to take his show on the road.
With Alex’s uncle Marc Wilson on the drums, and Alex’s brother Matthew singing harmonies and playing bass, Alex is running with one of the toughest bands on the scene today. It’s no surprise that they won the 2007 WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Award for blues group/artist of the year. After playing a series of shows for the Chinese New Year in Beijing with Grammy nominated blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite, Alex returned to the states to find himself a triple nominee for the WAMI Awards in 2008 and winner of the award for guitarist of the year…and then winning again in 2009 and 2011 for Blues Artist. In 2010 he was the recipient of the peoples choice award and was chosen to represent his local blues society in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2011 along with 130 other bands from all over the world. Alex and his band ended up finishing in the top 8 in the IBC finals at The Orpheum Theater.
A versatile musician, Alex effortlessly switches between genres. He plays everything from sweet Beale Street blues to West coast swing. From hard Texas grinders to stone cold Chicago grooves with a feeling that’s said to be timeless. Alex’s style and tasty originals matched with his undeniable stage presence and unmistakable guitar style will drive you to the dance floor.
His long-awaited and freshly nominated debut CD, Tell Me Why, has been released on “Rathskeller Records”.
To say that Alex Wilson is one to look out for down the road is an understatement. Taking the Midwest by storm, this young musician is a force to be reckoned with.