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“The dream was a reality for me. I don’t want a Ferrari. I have everything I need to do my job”: Genesis ex Ray Wilson, a friend who pushed himself into the sea in his wheelchair, and a dancer who got injured days before her big show
Ray Wilson, the singer who fronted Genesis on their 1997 album Calling All Stations after replacing Phil Collins, discussed his unusual career path in a 2016 interview looking back on the highs and lows of his time in music. His journey took him from a chart-topping single with Stiltskin to the pressures of stepping into Phil Collins's shoes, and eventually to a self-built solo career based in Poland, illustrating how a musician can reinvent themselves outside the mainstream spotlight.
Wilson had a UK No.1 single, "Inside", with post-grunge band Stiltskin in 1994 thanks to a high-profile Levi's advert, before auditioning successfully to become Genesis's vocalist. He toured extensively with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford before the band went on hiatus, later guesting on Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited tour and relocating to Poznan, Poland, in 2008. At the time of the interview he was preparing to release two contrasting solo albums, the acoustic Song For a Friend and the heavier Makes Me Think Of Home, reflecting on giving up his house, car and money in a divorce settlement and valuing simplicity over material wealth.
In short
- Ray Wilson recalls replacing Phil Collins as Genesis frontman
- He had a 1994 No.1 hit with band Stiltskin via a Levi's advert
- Now based in Poland, he released two solo albums in 2016
Explained simply
Ray Wilson is a British rock vocalist who achieved chart success in the 1990s and later fronted the legendary band Genesis. He first became famous in 1994 with the band Stiltskin, whose single "Inside" topped the UK charts after appearing in a Levi's advertisement. He subsequently auditioned successfully to become Genesis's lead singer, replacing Phil Collins, and toured extensively with the band.
In the years since his time in Genesis, Wilson has chosen an unconventional path for a successful musician. He relocated to Poland in 2008 and built a solo career independent of the mainstream music industry. Through a divorce settlement that left him with few material possessions, he came to value simplicity and his ability to continue making music above the trappings of wealth and celebrity.