Robin Wilson of The Gin Blossoms performs in Round Rock, Texas. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal to change one word. I wonder often what would it be like if he had managed to stick around. (Editor’s Note: In the next parts of this interview series, Wilson discusses where he learned to sing, how audiences differ today versus the 1990s, his involvement with the power pop band, The Smithereens, the next Gin Blossoms tour and its latest CD “Mixed Reality,” a funny story from the road, and more. Gin Blossoms is an American rock band formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona. Clash: When you sing Doug’s lyrics in say, “Hey Jealously” or “Found Out About You,” do you ever think about him? It’s really difficult to imagine him functioning as a full-time professional musician. He remained a member of the band until its breakup in 1997; prior to the breakup, the band came out with two albums. In 1993, though, the group experienced a major setback when guitarist and songwriter Doug Hopkins committed suicide. I think about him all the time. Robin Wilson, Soundtrack: Empire Records. Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray and Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth pose backstage during the 2013 Under the Sun Tour at Wente Vineyard on July 10, 2013 in Livermore, California. Robin Wilson (born July 12, 1965) is an American musician most notable for his work as the lead vocalist of the rock band Gin Blossoms. Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms performs at the Paradise Live Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on January 26 Hollywood Beach, Florida. He also contributed vocals for The Longshadows album Simple Minded Way. They rose to prominence following the 1992 release of their first major label album, New Miserable Experience, and the first single released from that album, "Hey Jealousy". Clash: Is it true that you changed one of Doug’s lines in “Hey Jealously” from, “I promise not to drink,” to, “I promise not to think?”. Wilson replaced Richard Taylor as guitarist of Gin Blossoms in 1988, but switched places early on with vocalist Jesse Valenzuela. After the Gin Blossoms songs, Wilson is joined by Smithereens guitarist Jim Babjak … Robin Wilson net worth and salary: Robin Wilson is a Rock Singer who has a net worth of $1.6 Million. I've bobsledded with the Olympic team; piloted a super-boat at 140 mph; flown to 84,000 feet at Mach 2.6 in a MiG; skied to the South Pole and swam (sans wetsuit) at the North Pole; climbed the Matterhorn; driven the Bugatti Veyron at 253 mph; taken a .38 shot wearing a bulletproof fashion jacket (it hurt); gone bull-fighting (hurt more - three broken ribs); figure-skated with Olympian Sasha Cohen (hurt most - concussion). Auf Discogs können Sie sich ansehen, wer an 1992 CD von New Miserable Experience mitgewirkt hat, Rezensionen und Titellisten lesen und auf dem Marktplatz nach der Veröffentlichung suchen. However, nearly a year after its release the lead single "Hey Jealousy" entered the top 40. I write about culture and adventure sports. While the calendar may not officially turn to summer for another two weeks, the season is in full sizzle for the concert biz. The band … I write about extreme adventure and those who do it. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. After the breakup of Gin Blossoms, Wilson was the lead vocalist and songwriter for the band Gas Giants,[3] which also included guitarist Dan Henzerling and former Gin Blossoms drummer Phil Rhodes. We had all of these lyrics about it, and it was something we seemed to be talking about too much. [4], When the Gin Blossoms reunited in 2002, Wilson began touring with the band[5] as well as recording the album Major Lodge Victory. The band's hit debut album New Miserable Experience went quadruple platinum and featured singles "Hey Jealousy", "Found Out About You", "Mrs. Rita", "Until I Fall Away", and Wilson's "Allison Road". Doug always seemed to think he was going to die young, go out in a blaze of glory. Robin Wilson and the Gin Blossoms perform on Day 3 of the Outside The Box Festival Boston at Boston Common on July 16, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. Even in New York. Jim Clash: Do you remember where you were when guitarist Doug Hopkins committed suicide in 1993? May 26, 2018 in San Diego, California. Actually, there were times back when he and I were friends that the subject of suicide came up. The group was known as The Pharaohs when they formed in 1997, but changed their name after their label, A&M Records, merged with Universal Records and the band changed hands, re-signing with Interscope Records. My books include "Forbes To The Limits" and "The Right Stuff: Interviews With Icons Of The 1960s. It was really cool to have been a part of that and to have co-written a song with Marshall Crenshaw that went to the top of the charts. Released on August 8, 2006, the album featured the singles "Learning the Hard Way" and "Long Time Gone". Doug had been telling people for months and months that he was going to do this. It just represents such a dark time, you know? Then the band collectively decided that we would rather be a five-piece, have a dedicated guitar player. Wilson replaced Richard Taylor as guitarist of Gin Blossoms in 1988, but switched places early on with vocalist Jesse Valenzuela. Robin is forever representing his love for Arizona. “A lot of it’s personal, and I’m not going to get into the gory details,” he says when asked about the falling out with his late friend and bandmate. I would try to steer it away from that all the time. The Gin Blossoms were one of the well-known bands of the 1990s. Vocalist Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms performs during the Philippine Red Cross Benefit concert at Stage 48 on November 21, 2013 in New York City. Photo of GIN BLOSSOMS, Jesse Valenzuela & Robin Wilson. Clash: How did you find a replacement guitarist for Doug? Former Gin Blossoms singer Robin Wilson has been through rock & roll heaven, rock & roll hell and rock & roll purgatory. Robin Wilson’s always had a perfect voice for graveyards.The Gin Blossoms singer’s slightly nasal tenor is just the type of whine to carry far and clear across the tombstones. Stay tuned to the Forbes Lifestyle Channel.). It was the most disruptive and sad thing that’s ever happened in my life. So it was a shock, but it wasn’t all that surprising. [7][8], "Gin Blossoms' Robin Wilson on why 'Mixed Reality' is their best since 'Miserable' was new", "Longshadows album melodic, introspective", "After 10 years, Gin Blossoms have new CD", "The Gin Blossoms' Robin Wilson Offers Non-Traditional Songwriting Advice", "Brothers in Song: The Smithereens Carry On", Outside Looking In: The Best of the Gin Blossoms, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robin_Wilson_(musician)&oldid=996808141, Articles with dead external links from November 2012, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 December 2020, at 18:36. Clash: Does Scotty play on the “New Miserable Experience” LP or is that Doug? With the band, he recorded highly successful releases like their four-times platinum debut, 1992's "New Miserable Experience." Gin Blossoms lead vocalist Robin Wilson would recall: "Empire Records [is] a classic film that only a handful of people really saw, but it definitely made an impact on that generation. Robin Wilson, guitarist Daniel Henzerling, and Gin Blossoms drummer Philip Rhodes formed the Gas Giants in 1997 with the expressed purpose of rocking harder. The band's next album, Congratulations I'm Sorry, which went platinum,[1] featured singles "Follow You Down", "As Long as It Matters", "Not Only Numb", and "Day Job", as well as Wilson's "Highwire". "Hey Jealousy" became a Top 25 hit and went gold, and New Miserable Experience eventually went quadruple platinum; four other charting singles were released … 16.3k Followers, 117 Following, 1,186 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Gin Blossoms (@ginblossomsaz) With the band, he recorded highly successful releases like their four-times platinum debut, 1992’s “New Miserable Experience.”. “Doug was like having this big anvil you had to drag around with you. 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That means destination festivals galore, Country Mega Ticket and, of course, since Everclear launched their Summerland Tour in 2012, no summer is complete without 90’s package tours. Robin Wilson is a rock singer from Michigan, United States. Eventually, the group released their album, From Beyond the Back Burner, in 1999 on indie Atomic Pop Records. ", © 2021 Forbes Media LLC. Comic book artist Geof Darrowprovided the artwork for the album. The Gin Blossoms were a force to be reckoned with in the 1990s, still are. In this first edited excerpt from an extended interview, Wilson focuses on his old friend, Doug Hopkins. The band's name refers to the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Official website of Gin Blossoms. I've also purchased a ticket to fly to space with Virgin Galactic. Vocalist Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms performs in concert at Stubb's Bar-B-Q on August 13, 2015 in Austin, Texas. [6], Wilson runs his own studio, Uranus Recording in Tempe, Arizona, which he opened in 1994. [1] The band's hit debut album New Miserable Experience went quadruple platinum[2] and featured singles "Hey Jealousy", "Found Out About You", "Mrs. Rita", "Until I Fall Away", and Wilson's "Allison Road". Gin Blossoms regrouped in 2001, have celebrated their breakthrough album since it turned 25 and are playing it in full on this current U.S. tour. We have to get up early to go to the airport, and we have to fulfill our responsibilities with interviews and sound checks, meet-and-greets, things like that. We thought it would be interesting to catch up with Gin Blossoms lead vocalist Robin Wilson to discuss the past, the present and the future. Gin Blossoms broke up in 1997 largely because the members lacked a shared vision for the band's future evolution. [6], Wilson has served as an occasional lead singer for The Smithereens since the 2017 death of lead singer Pat DiNizio. With "Found Out About You" following a few months later, the album eventually reached multi-platinum status. Entdecken Sie Veröffentlichungen von Gin Blossoms auf Discogs. Three decades later, the band still tours. We knew there was a chance. Kaufen Sie Platten, CDs und mehr von Gin Blossoms auf dem Discogs-Marktplatz. He said things like that, sort of shocking. He remained a member of the band until its breakup in 1997; prior to the breakup, the band came out with two albums. Robin Wilson was born in 1965 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Wilson: That’s all Doug on the Miserable Experience. Wählen Sie aus erstklassigen Inhalten zum Thema Robin Wilson Musician in … All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. Robin Wilson (born July 12, 1965 in Detroit, Michigan) is the lead vocalist of Gin Blossoms. It was something he was always fascinated with, those types of characters that died young. Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms performs at Revolution on March 10, 2015 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Singer Robin Wilson is shown performing on stage during a "live" concert appearance with The Smithereens on February 1, 2020. Robin Wilson was born in in July 12, 1965. I've bobsledded with the Olympic team; piloted a super-boat at 140 mph; flown to 84,000 feet at Mach 2.6 in a MiG; I write about extreme adventure and those who do it. Wilson also feels the need, after all these years, to set the record straight on a number of misconceptions that have built up around the Gin Blossoms' mythic story. The band was called Gin Blossoms, which, as you know, is a reference to heavy drinking. In 1993, Gin Blossoms guitarist Doug Hopkins committed suicide. We knew Scotty Johnson from another band that he played with in Tempe [Arizona]. Rock singer who found fame in the 90’s as a member of the pop-rock band Gin Blossoms. Multi platinum rock band from Tempe, Arizona. Here, in Part 1 of an interview series with Robin Wilson, the vocalist remembers his old friend. Finden Sie perfekte Stock-Fotos zum Thema Robin Wilson Musician sowie redaktionelle Newsbilder von Getty Images. Check out Robin's home studio in New York!ginblossoms.netfacebook.com/ginblossomsaztwitter.com/ginblossomsinstagram.com/ginblossomsaz (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images). Gas Giants were a pop rock band from Tempe, Arizona, formed as a successor project to the Gin Blossoms. The band's next album, Congratulations I'm Sorry, which went platinu… You get the idea: I like to push limits and inspire others to do the same. Erstklassige Nachrichtenbilder in hoher Auflösung bei Getty Images And this was when things were good, our careers were growing, the exciting early days. Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon performs during the 2013 … Erstklassige Nachrichtenbilder in hoher Auflösung bei Getty Images Hits like “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You” rocketed the quintet from local Arizona band to the national scene. Scotty Johnson was brought in as replacement, and the rest is history. It’s really difficult to imagine him doing that work. Wilson: At first, we did some rehearsals as a foursome, with me playing rhythm guitar. We were close friends, so he got an audition and the job. Gin Blossoms frontman Robin Wilson. Robin Wilson: I don’t remember exactly when and where I was, but it was both shocking and also it wasn’t surprising. Wilson: Yes, because there were so many references to drinking, you know, in our songs. Rock singer who found fame in the 90's as a member of the pop-rock band Gin Blossoms. I've written for Forbes, Departures, Black Ink, Bloomberg Businessweek, AskMen, Huffington Post, New York Times, Automobile, Popular Mechanics, among others. You may opt-out by. Wilson: All the time. SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 26: Vocalist Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms performs on stage at USS Midway on ... [+] May 26, 2018 in San Diego, California. New Miserable Experience is the second studio album by rock band Gin Blossoms, released on August 4, 1992.The album was released to little fanfare and relatively lackluster reviews. Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms performs at The Grove summer concert series at The Grove on July 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Smithereens since the 2017 death of lead singer for the album Michigan ) is the vocalist! 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