After, he released 4 more recordings: “Midnight Hour/When I Spoke Of Love” (1978), “Forgotten Lovers EP” (1979), “Invasion Of Privacy” (1980), and “This Is Why I Wear My Wedding Gown” (1983).
Wilson was a self-taught musician and musical prodigy, being proficient in guitar, bass, drums, piano and cello by the time he entered grade school.
[4] His 1970s concert performances were cited as bizarre and outrageous, a "show that included cellophane, duct tape, bed sheets, fake blood, flour, and milk.
[1] After receiving a small amount of radio play, Wilson decided to try and pursue landing a record deal and moved west to California in 1978.
Wilson then lapsed into obscurity until around 1996, when Beck was heard citing him as an influence in concerts, at award ceremonies, and on his album, Odelay.
Beck also namechecked the musician in his hit single "Where It's At": "Passin' the dutchie from coast to coast/like my man Gary Wilson rocks the most.
He was nearly 50 years old, working part-time at The Jolar Cinema adult theater,[3] playing keyboard in a weekly jazz act called Donnie Finnell & Company East at the Rancho Bernardino Lounge and living with his girlfriend (an experimental artist who had studied at UCSD in the 1980s) in San Diego.
"[3] Motel Records soon after put out Forgotten Lovers, a collection of singles, B-sides, rare and unreleased songs dating back to 1974.
In 2004, Wilson released Mary Had Brown Hair on Stones Throw Records, his first album of original material in almost 30 years.
In 2005 he played instruments and co-produced "Rain of Earth" as one of the 'Stones Throw Singers' on a tribute album to Bruce Haack titled Dimension Mix.
Wilson continues to occasionally perform live, touring Europe twice with the Austin Blind Dates, and usually playing in California, where he resides.
[11] To promote his new album, Wilson performed on the October 27, 2010 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with members of the Roots acting as his backing band.
"[15] In May 2013, Wilson made his first appearance outside the US for a European tour with The Blind Dates of TX playing the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, UK, Belgium, and the Villette Sonique Festival in Paris.
[16] Wilson and the TX Blind Dates returned abroad for a second European tour in 2014 where they played Czech Republic, Germany, France, Belgium, and headlined Sunday night at the OFF Fest in Katowice, Poland.
[citation needed] In 2014, Electric Six recorded a cover of "Gary's in the Park" as part of a pledge package for their Absolute Treasure Kickstarter campaign.
[citation needed] In January 2014, Wilson and long-time contemporary (also one-time art mail exchange colleague back in the 1970s) R. Stevie Moore finally received the chance to share the same stage for two nights in Brooklyn, NY.
The performance piece paid much respect to Wilson's avant garde and cable access roots involving light arrangements of prerecorded Musique Concrete/electronic noise style samples, Wilson improvising on a baby grand piano, and the improvisational accompaniment of the TX Blind Dates Electronic Choir (Paul Millar, Chef Pittman, Sam Vandelinder, Patrick Healy, and T.W.