Ricky Helton Wilson

Ricky Helton Wilson

Ricky Helton Wilson

Ricky Helton Wilson was born on March 19, 1953 and died at the age of 32 on October 12, 1985. He is best known for being the original guitarist for the B-52’s.

Patrick Emerson

March 19, 1953 - October 12, 1985.

Camily Williams

Ricky Helton Wilson was born on March 19, 1953 and died at the age of 32 on October 12, 1985. He is best known for being the original guitarist for the B-52’s, which he started with his high school friend, Keith Strickland, playing as Black Narcissus. The band formed as the B-52’s in 1976 after some drinks at a Chinese restaurant here in Athens. They took to a ‘stream-of-consciousness’ lyric writing style that made them stand out. Their debut single ‘Rock Lobster’ got a lukewarm reception at first, but when re-released in 1979 it made it into the Top 40 in both the US and the UK. His friend, Keith Strickland was originally the drummer and switched to guitarist after Wilson died from an AIDS-related illness in a New York hospital bed. While upset at the tragedy, the band would bounce back from grief with their best hit, ‘Love Shack,’ and other tops songs. Wilson is buried near his father, who was also a true Athenian, serving the local fire department for 27 years. He unfortunately lived long enough to see his son die, but also saw him become hugely successful. Sources: http://theb52s.com/about/ https://books.google.com/books?id=bMBf3TYZigQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:9781556527548&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixvdLWxZbMAhUJOSYKHY2RDmMQuwUIIDAA#v=onepage&q&f=false http://onlineathens.com/stories/031102/obi_01.shtml#.VxRFemPp47c