Orlandus Wilson (August 27, 1917 in Chesapeake, Virginia – December 30, 1998 in Paris) was one of the longest standing members of the Golden Gate Quartet and the group's bass singer.
He joined the Golden Gate Jubilee Singers in 1934 and only announced his retirement from the quartet in October 1998. Apart from a forced break in 1944 when he was drafted and temporarily replaced by Cliff Givens, Wilson supplied the basis for the quartet. Wilson managed the formation, and supplied a majority of the arrangements and some compositions. His rhythmic feel has been said to be essential to the group's "jump, glide, bounce and swing".
Personal life
With his wife, Gun, Wilson had a son. He relocated to Paris, along with the rest of the group, in 1958, and died there in 1998. He remained an active performer almost until his death.
References
- Notice de personne: Wilson, Orlandus (1917-1998) [Biographical Record: Wilson, Orlandus (1917-1998)] (in French). BnF Cataloge Général (National Library of France General Catalogue). Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- "Orlandus Wilson, 81, bass voice for quartet". Sun Sentinel. January 12, 1999. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Orlandus Wilson ". Associated Press. John Pareles. "Orlandus Wilson, 81, Singer in Influential Gospel Quartet ". New York Times. Cited at "Orlandus Wilson". Fuller Up – The Dead Musician Directory. Elvispelvis.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- "The Golden Gate Quartet". CultD. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- "The Golden Gate Quartet – Spirituals To Swing 1955-1960 Vol.2". Discogs. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- M. W. Goodwin (February 22, 2002). "Orlandus Wilson". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- "The Golden Gate Quarted". International Jazz Productions. Retrieved December 3, 2021.