Ricky Helton Wilson died way too young. He sure was a talented cutie. Ricky was the original guitarist in the rock band The B-52s, which he helped to form in 1976.
What do they put in the water in Athens, Georgia?
At first The B-52s did not have a bass player, so Ricky invented his own tunings on a guitar, grouping the strings into a bass course. It was quite an original sound. It was a sound that I still continue to really dig. I had some major fun on the dance floor in the late 1970s- early 1980s… courtesy of the B-52s. I still love their surf punk party music.
Wilson died on October 12, 1985, aged 32, from health complications related to AIDS. In an interview, fellow band member Kate Pierson stated that Wilson had kept his illness secret from his fellow band members because he 'did not want anyone to worry about him or fuss over him.
Following his death, fellow B-52s' member Keith Strickland, originally the drummer for The B-52s, learned how to play the guitar in a similar fashion to Wilson.
The B-52s effectively disappeared for a couple of years following their loss, unable to continue without their friend & bandmate & in Cindy Wilson's case, brother, but they eventually put the band together again & wnt on to to achieve mainstream worldwide commercial success. The B52s remain musically active & continue to tour.
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