For months after his younger brother, Paul Wilson, died suddenly from a heart attack last year, Southern Gypsey Queen musician Gareth Wilson could not pick up a guitar.
But now he and ex-wife Tammy Wilson are back and will perform in East London for the first time since the third member of the bluesy rock band died at his Molteno home.
“I lost not just my brother but also the person I had planned my whole future with. He was part of every plan I had.
“It felt so strange for a long time to play any music, but when I did eventually pick up my guitar I didn’t stop playing for six hours. It suddenly just felt right,” Wilson said.
The South African music industry was rattled in April last year when the band’s drummer and vocalist died after complaining of feeling tired and burnt out.
Wilson, who was 29 when he died, was known not only for his musical ability, but also for his good looks and abs which attracted the attention of celebrity magazines.
At one point he was placed 16th on Cosmopolitan’s Top 100 Sexiest Men Alive list and said he was “chuffed” to have been ranked higher than Hollywood heart-throbs Matthew McConnaughey and Johnny Depp.
The Wilson brothers grew up in Molteno listening to their father Allen’s music selection, including the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen, and started a band at high school which morphed into Southern Gypsey Queen.
Tammy, the third member of band, is on bass guitar and vocals. They produced numerous albums and played to packed venues all over South Africa for more than a decade.
Gareth, 33, a talent buyer who books artists for Oppie Koppie and other events, said Southern Gypsey Queen had played a couple of gigs in the last few months, but were looking forward to performing in East London.
“East London was always such a big part of our lives and although we have used drummer friends of Paul’s for the past few shows, for the East London show we are doing something different.”
He said he had arranged a special acoustic version of songs dating back to the early days of the band.
“It will be the first time it will be just me and Tammy. We will be doing all the songs from the beginning until Paul died. I think he would have loved something like this.”
He described hearing of his brother’s death as being hit hard in the stomach.
“I had seen him in Joburg the week before he died and he said he was feeling flat and burnt out and had to pull out of a show and go home to Molteno. I later heard he was feeling really ill but three hours into my way home I got word that he was gone.
“We will definitely feel his presence on stage. We will never replace him, but we will play his music and have fun. We plan to release a new album next year.”
lSouthern Gypsey Queen will perform at Buffs Club on Saturday night at 9pm. Tickets at R50 will be available at the door. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Return of popular rockers
But now he and ex-wife Tammy Wilson are back and will perform in East London for the first time since the third member of the bluesy rock band died at his Molteno home.
“I lost not just my brother but also the person I had planned my whole future with. He was part of every plan I had.
“It felt so strange for a long time to play any music, but when I did eventually pick up my guitar I didn’t stop playing for six hours. It suddenly just felt right,” Wilson said.
The South African music industry was rattled in April last year when the band’s drummer and vocalist died after complaining of feeling tired and burnt out.
Wilson, who was 29 when he died, was known not only for his musical ability, but also for his good looks and abs which attracted the attention of celebrity magazines.
At one point he was placed 16th on Cosmopolitan’s Top 100 Sexiest Men Alive list and said he was “chuffed” to have been ranked higher than Hollywood heart-throbs Matthew McConnaughey and Johnny Depp.
The Wilson brothers grew up in Molteno listening to their father Allen’s music selection, including the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen, and started a band at high school which morphed into Southern Gypsey Queen.
Tammy, the third member of band, is on bass guitar and vocals. They produced numerous albums and played to packed venues all over South Africa for more than a decade.
Gareth, 33, a talent buyer who books artists for Oppie Koppie and other events, said Southern Gypsey Queen had played a couple of gigs in the last few months, but were looking forward to performing in East London.
“East London was always such a big part of our lives and although we have used drummer friends of Paul’s for the past few shows, for the East London show we are doing something different.”
He said he had arranged a special acoustic version of songs dating back to the early days of the band.
“It will be the first time it will be just me and Tammy. We will be doing all the songs from the beginning until Paul died. I think he would have loved something like this.”
He described hearing of his brother’s death as being hit hard in the stomach.
“I had seen him in Joburg the week before he died and he said he was feeling flat and burnt out and had to pull out of a show and go home to Molteno. I later heard he was feeling really ill but three hours into my way home I got word that he was gone.
“We will definitely feel his presence on stage. We will never replace him, but we will play his music and have fun. We plan to release a new album next year.”
lSouthern Gypsey Queen will perform at Buffs Club on Saturday night at 9pm. Tickets at R50 will be available at the door. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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