Barrie James Wilson

Tuesday 18 March 1947 – Monday 8 October 1990

' ... BJ was the true heart of Procol Harum ... BJ's drumming was almost literary – following and emphasising the narrative with far more power and passion than any mere beat structure.  ... In the usual descriptions of Procol Harum's style, "grandeur" is a typical adjective. BJ created that grandeur with stunning punctuations, great open spaces, surprising reversals of rhythm  ... BJ Wilson made the drums express both the unpredictability and inevitability of fate. He was awesome, and he will be missed.'  Stephen Braitman, letter to the Editor, Goldmine Magazine, 31 May 1991 Born: North Middlesex Hospital, Silver Street, Edmonton, North London; rests in peace at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Corvallis, Oregon, USA Block 9, Section 59, Plot 6; obituary notice here

Prime instrument: Drums : also mandolin now and then ... also alto sax (c. 1970 ... no known recordings!). Last gig with Procol was 18 October 1977.
Read about BJ's drum kits; bid for memorabilia from his instrumental arsenal

Recorded works outside Procol Harum; Live on CD with Joe Cocker (review here)
Tunes Music Network on BJ Wilson

'Browsing through YouTube recently ... I've found a couple of clips with Barrie: Joe Cocker - a live concert version of AWSoP and Frankie Miller - live concert singing Goodnight Sweetheart . Not the finest recordings you'll ever see, but poignant memories nonetheless'. (thanks, Sheila)

Interviews

• 1967 Interview with Robin Trower and BJ Wilson from New Musical Express
• 1969 Procol Harum Set to Re-Conquer Britain Top Pops
• 1970 BJ Wilson, 'player of the month' in Beat Instrumental
• 1971 Interview with Melody Maker
• 1973 Interview with BJ Wilson from Melody Maker
• 1997 Interview with BJ Wilson's friend Kenny White, written for this website

Tributes

• BJ Wilson, Procol Harum's drummer - (in the Constellation of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, whose co-ordinates are RA 18h22m45.89s Decl. 07d 06' 27.61")
• BJ Wilson praises posted on AOL. 1995-97. including a moving tribute from BJ's daughter Nicola
• More Fan Tributes from 1999 and 'Beyond' ...'
• Fans recommend classic BJ tracks for a 'Best-of' compilation CD
• Barrie wins Internet Poll for Greatest Drummers
• From Whaling Stories, Gary Brooker fanzine
• BJ omitted from Rhythm magazine poll, and the editor's response
• Peter Solley : [BJ] was made for Procol. Procol was made for him: interview here
• Bob Cianci in Great Rock Drummers of the Sixties
• Fellow-musicians praise BJ Wilson: Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher, Howard Fields, Bill Lordan, Mick Grabham, Cozy Powell, Bob Siebenberg (here also), Joe Stefko, Cliff Goodwin, Robin Trower / Jimmy Vivino, Chris Mercer
• Tribute to BJ from Stephen Braitman – Letters, Goldmine Magazine, 5/31/91
• Letter about BJ Wilson – from Vintage Guitar Magazine, September 1996
• Letter about Robert Plant / BJ Wilson – from Uncut, May 2005
• Gary Brooker on A Salty Dog: 'But it was made great ... by BJ Wilson ... I must say that.' Interview here.
• Richard Amey in Shine On, March 1997
• Gary Brooker in Worthing Advertiser, 9 August 1995
• Beverly Peyton's tribute to BJ
• Three pictures from BJ's Joe Cocker era
• Two classic pictures of BJ from The Ghosts of A Whiter Shade of Pale
• A Shade: poem by Ross Taylor
• Fine, comprehensive, illustrated BJ Wilson tribute page at Classic Rock Page's 'Rock and Roll Heaven'
• Possible reference to BJ in a 1999 film
• More praise for Barrie Wilson by Randy Whitaker; BJ's snare-solo saves the day
• Drummer Tim Gagnon presents his personal reminiscence, with slides of BJ's own photographs
• BJ in a Top 31 drummers poll in New Musical Express, June 2013
• BJ praised in Boom Harangue by Richard X Heyman (2005)
• Steven Hamelman on BJ and Berlin
• Silvio Sirias on BJ and Led Zeppelin
• Procol Harum's BJ Wilson from Modern Drummer (September 2019)
• BJ Wilson and Alan Cartwright playing together in 1996 ... an interview ... photo here

Pictures

• Suite of pages from a Paramounts Scrapbook, kindly sent to BtP by his sister Pam
• BJ in action, late 60s and early 70s, kindly sent to BtP by an unknown donor
• A Barrie Wilson scrapbook, kindly sent to BtP by BJ's brother, Richard
• Two shots from Henry Scott-Irvine's The Ghosts of A Whiter Shade of Pale (2012)

BJ with Joe Cocker on DVD More pictures  Two great studio pictures from Mick Grabham's collection  Memorial picture & a great portrait  BJ in France, 1976  BJ's 65th birthday flowers Pictorial BJ tribute from EJ Haas  BJ in 1967 regalia, with fowls  BJ and his daughter, from the Grand Hotel sessions  Inaccurate obituary article Larry Pennisi's gallery and reaction from BJ's daughter, Sarah Jane Wilson

 Sessions list: all non-PH and non-Paramounts records (up to 1986) to which Procol Harum members contributed

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