The Wilsons
The formidable five Wilson Brothers, Tom, Chris, Steve, Ken & Mike are the accepted benchmark for powerhouse unaccompanied singing. Tom, Chris and Steve celebrated 40 continuous years of singing together during 2015, Ken and Mike joining them in the late 1970’s:
Sting has recently said of them: “They have a family sound and a natural, bone-deep understanding of music and harmony. And it’s quite something.”
Their influences have said of them:
“There`s a musical honesty about them that links past and present together. They are among the people who go about singing traditional songs that move me – which I really love, because that’s what I try to do. But what appeals to me about them, apart from their musical skill, is their honesty. They are what they are and do what they do and say what they say and it’s very direct and I love that. Theyre not pretenders.” – Dick Gaughan
“The Northern Wilsonia – a vocal orchestra!” – Peter Bellamy
“They have synthesised the qualities of all their major influences, which sets them apart as one of the foremost harmony groups entertaining folk audiences today”- Roy Harris
“Singing with the Wilson Family makes life a whole lot easier” – Louis Killen