In this oral history, Cindy Wilson discusses growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, her early artistic influences, and her close relationship with her older brother and bandmate Ricky. Wilson talks about how The B-52s formed, her expectations when the band was starting, and signing to Warner Brothers. She details band dynamics and the group's writing process, crediting the members’ individual interests and tastes to their unique sound. Wilson talks openly about maintaining relationships while working, motherhood, and grief. She discusses Ricky’s death due to A.I.D.S related complications, her and the band’s grief, healing, and activism. Wilson also talks about her solo album and identity as a musician. The interview concludes with her thoughts on the visibility of women in the music industry, and her contributions to rock and roll.

Cindy Wilson is a singer-songwriter and percussionist best known for her work in The B-52s, one of the leading bands in the new-wave sound. Wilson lives with her husband in Georgia and has two children. The B-52s announced their farewell tour in 2022.

Learn more at: WomenofRock.org
Interviewed by Tanya Pearson for the Women of Rock Oral History Project
Shot by Mac MacDonald

The Women of Rock Oral History Project is a collection of digital interviews and written transcripts, housed at the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College—one of the oldest women’s history archives in the United States. Started by Tanya Pearson in December, 2014, WOROHP documents the lives and careers of women in rock whose work and careers have been underrepresented or omitted from rock journalism and historical scholarship. With a collection of publicized and accessible primary source documents, the Women of Rock Oral History Project seeks to facilitate a more comprehensive, inclusive, and accurate cultural history.

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