Ray Wilson

We’ve seen him several times at blacksheep, and now we’re happy to finally be able to present Ray Wilson, the former singer of Genesis, live again. Ray Wilson comes to Bonfeld with his Genesis Classic program and plays the biggest hits from the band’s history as well as his solo career.

Ray Wilson plays the blacksheep festival on Friday, 21th June 2024

20 years after the release of the legendary Genesis album “Calling all stations” with Ray Wilson as singer, he and his band will present the best pieces from it at the 9th blacksheep Festival – Live in Bonfeld Castle Park.

Ray Wilson’s repertoire includes hits such as “Congo”, “Not about us”, “Shipwrecked” and “The divining Line”, which stands out due to the huge drum solo and the gigantic duel between the lead guitars. This of course also includes the title track “Calling all stations”, which is complemented by other Genesis classics such as “No Son of mine”, “Carpet Crawlers” and “Mama”. Finally, Ray Wilson also presents pieces from his long solo career.

Ray Wilson was named one of Britain’s top singers by German Classic Rock magazine. He is known for his strong stage presence and inspiring performances. His show promises a unique concert experience for anyone who appreciates good live music.

Wilson: The last, but not the worst singer from Genesis

“Calling all stations” was the last studio album by one of the best and most successful rock bands of all time. As a result, Genesis was inducted into the famous “Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame” as an important and influential band and sold a total of over 150 million records worldwide. The singers Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins had left the band. The young and already successful Scot Ray Wilson joined in 1997.

His career began in 1994 with grunge sensation Stiltskin, when he stormed the charts with the number 1 hit “Inside”. The song ran worldwide for years as a TV commercial for the jeans company “Levi’s”.

With the jointly produced Genesis album “Calling all stations” they went on a successful stadium tour throughout Europe and North America. After Genesis disbanded, Ray Wilson played in Germany with music greats such as Marius Müller-Westernhagen, among others. He was on stage with the Scorpions and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the opening concert of the EXPO World Exhibition in Hanover.

In 2003, Ray Wilson released his first solo album “Change” and presented it during his tour – with over 50 shows in Germany alone – together with Joe Jackson and the band Saga. For the song “Yet another Day” from the same album he worked with the Dutch star DJ Armin Van Buuren. The song reached number 1 on the dance charts. In the following years, Ray Wilson toured Europe with Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries and Supertramp frontman Roger Hodgson.

To this day he is considered a likeable, exceptional singer. With his charismatic stage presence, he has made a name for himself worldwide as an excellent entertainer. As a singer/songwriter, he combines the energy of rock music with complex lyrics with typical Scottish calm. In 2016, Ray Wilson and his band recorded two new solo albums: the acoustic “Song for a Friend” and the electric “Makes me think of Home”.

With the new double album “Upon my life”, Ray Wilson releases his songs from the last 20 years after Genesis, in which he co-wrote and recorded nine studio albums, including solo, stiltskin and cut albums. It’s called “Upon my life” and it captures the wealth of memories and emotions of the Scottish singer’s unique and impressive career.

The album contains two very special tracks: “Come the end of the World” and “I wait and I pray”. Both songs are inspired by the politically confused, ecologically altered and polarizing world we now live in. Ray Wilson deliberately released this album on the day Britain left the EU.

The Band

• Ray Wilson – Vocals/Guitar
• Steve Wilson – Vocals/Lead Guitar
• Alicja Chrzaszcz- Violin
• Kool Lyczek – Keyboards
• Marcin Kajper – Saxophone/Flute/Bass
• Mario Koszel – Drums/Percussion