Ray Wilson

Gifted with a warm, gravelly voice, Scottish singer Ray Wilson has navigated a career marked by sharp contrasts. A Levi's television commercial rescued his band Stiltskin from obscurity and carried the group onto the U.K. charts, yet the momentum proved short-lived. Shortly afterward, his selection as Phil Collins' successor in Genesis thrust him into prominence, only to end abruptly when the band abandoned the project following disappointing sales of Calling All Stations. The decision left Wilson shouldering undue blame for the setback as he gradually reconstructs a solo path.

Born in Dumfries, Scotland, on September 9, 1968, Wilson first performed in high-school rock outfits alongside his brother Steve. In 1988 he encountered pianist Paul Holmes at a piano bar where Wilson's girlfriend performed vocals. The two launched a songwriting collaboration that led, two years later, to the formation of Guaranteed Pure, whose lineup also featured Steve Wilson and bassist John Haimes, later of Cut. The ensemble issued several demo tapes and the album Swing Your Bag, tracked at Fish's studio. Its title track appeared on the Fish-assembled collection Outpatients '93, yet broader attention remained elusive; Holmes returned to piano-bar work and the band dissolved.

Wilson soon joined another project. In January 1994 he was invited into Stiltskin, and the musicians headed directly to the studio to complete The Mind's Eye, issued in 1995. During that period the track "Inside" was licensed for a Levi's jeans advertisement, propelling the single to number one before internal conflicts dissolved the group.

At that point Wilson learned Genesis sought a new vocalist. He succeeded at the audition, supplying both vocals and lyrics for the 1997 release Calling All Stations. Because his timbre evoked Peter Gabriel, supporters anticipated a revival of the band's earlier style, but Wilson received little opportunity to shape the music. After sales of the album and associated tickets fell short in America, portions of the 1998 world tour were scrapped, the ensemble was placed on indefinite hold, and Wilson was quietly dismissed. He promptly assembled Cut, enlisting drummer Nir Z.—Phil Collins' touring replacement—alongside John Haimes and Steve Wilson, and issued Millionairhead on the German market in 1999. In 2001 he undertook an acoustic solo tour across Europe that produced the self-released album Unplugged; Inside Out Music acquired the recording and retitled it Live and Acoustic in mid-2002.