Al Wilson

AKA:

Mr. Show and Tell

Birth Name:

Allen LaMar Wilson

Birth Date:

June 19, 1939

Birth Place:

Meridian, Mississippi

Death Date:

April 21, 2008

Place of Death:

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Fontana, California

Age:

Cause of Death:

Kidney Failure

Cemetery Name:

Evergreen Memorial Park

Claim to Fame:

Music

Al Wilson is best remembered for the #1 pop hit "Show and Tell". From the age of 12 Wilson was already singing professionally - his own spiritual quartet and singing in the church choir, even performing covers of country & western hits. After a two-year military stint, Wilson settled in Los Angeles, touring the local nightclub circuit before joining the R&B vocal group the Jewels; from there he landed with the Rollers, followed by a stint with the instrumental combo the Souls. In 1966 singer Johnny Rivers not only signed Wilson to his Soul City imprint, but also agreed to produce the sessions that yielded the 1968 R&B smash "The Snake." The minor hit "Do What You Gotta Do" appeared that same year, but Wilson then largely disappeared from sight until 1973, when he issued the platinum-selling Weighing In -- the album's success was spurred by the shimmering "Show and Tell," a Johnny Mathis castoff that sold well over a million copies. "The La La Peace Song," released in 1974, proved another major hit, and two years later, "I've Got a Feeling We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again" peaked at number three on the R&B chart. With 1979's "Count the Days" Wilson scored his final chart hit and spent the next two decades touring local clubs and lounges before succumbing to kidney disease at the age of 68.

Fun Facts

In March 2007, many of his original master tapes were lost to a fire that swept through his home garage which he had converted into a recording studio.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Evergreen Memorial Park

4414 14th Street

Riverside, California, 92501

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Evergreen Memorial Park in Riverside, California

Grave Location:

Whispering Pine, Section 8, Block 65, Plot B

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery off Pine Street, take a right where Sections 6 (left) and Section 8 (right) bisect. Drive straight ahead and stop approximately 100 feet before the road veers to the left. Walking to Section 8 on your right and approximately 10 graves in you will find soul singer Al Wilson.