Cindy Wilson

Cynthia Leigh Wilson (born February 28, 1957) is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of new wave rock band the B-52's.

[2] The B-52's were formed when Wilson, her brother Ricky, keyboardist and backing vocalist Kate Pierson, drummer and percussionist Keith Strickland, and lead vocalist Fred Schneider played an impromptu musical jam session after sharing a tropical Flaming Volcano drink at a local Chinese restaurant.

"[2] From their inception, the band drew attention for their flamboyant stage attire, which included Wilson and Pierson donning beehive hairdos and go-go boots.

[2][6] The band released their second album, Wild Planet, in 1980, during which time they pooled their income together to purchase a house in upstate New York, where they all lived together and recorded material.

On April 21, 1985, Wilson married Keith Bennett, a successful advertiser who was a longtime friend of the band and Ricky's guitar tech on tour.

The group subsequently took a hiatus, returning three years later with their fifth album, Cosmic Thing (1989), which featured drummer Keith Strickland assuming the role of lead guitarist in Ricky Wilson's absence.

The album featured several highly successful singles, including "Roam" and "Love Shack", both of which went on to become two of the band's signature tracks.

[7] Wilson took a sabbatical from the band in 1990 to concentrate on raising a family of two children, during which time the B-52's recorded and released the album Good Stuff as a trio of Pierson, Schneider and Strickland.

Examples of Cindy's solo vocal performances in the B-52's include "Hero Worship", "Loveland", "Nip It in the Bud", "Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland", "Ain't It a Shame", "She Brakes for Rainbows" and "Give Me Back My Man".

Wilson plays the bongos on live favorites like "Planet Claire", "Mesopotamia", "Pump" and "Party Out of Bounds" as well as other songs such as "6060-842" and "Big Bird".