Cindy Wilson is a name familiar to anyone who has listened to music in the last 40 years. She, along with her big brother Ricky, and their friends Keith Strickland, Fred Schnider, and Kate Pierson broke new wave ground in Athens GA with their band The B52's,.who have often been referred to as "The Worlds Greatest Party Band". On a hot July afternoon I recently sat down with one of my favorite females in the industry, and the icon I call boss, for a fun talk about the last 40 years as one of the "B's", as well as what's going on with a new solo project she is currently working on!


Hello Gorgeous! How are you!! What have you been up to!

Doing GREAT ! I've been in Athens recently working on the live show for my new solo project, in between raising a family, and touring with the B52s!

I am so excited for people to hear the new solo record you have been preparing to release! But first...Lets back up a few years. Tell us a little about the history of the B's , Athens GA, and how you all became the "Worlds Greatest Party Band"

Athens back then was a lot different than it is now. Its night and day. We had to leave town to further our music career . Nowadays people move to Athens from all over the world now to further their musical careers. There weren't many clubs there then like now. We played house parties and we did alot of east cost touring in a van bought by my dad. Things happened rather quickly.


Where all did you go?

We toured all over. Even up.into.Canada. We would take turns driving the van while others sat on folding chairs in the back. We had a big piece of foam we would put over the equipment to sleep on. TOTALLY not glamorous, but a lot of fun!! Eventually all of us moved into a house near Lake Mayopac where we lived and worked out of. One of our first New York shows was at the legendary Maxs Kansas City. We soon found ourselves playing other big name places like Hurrahs, MuddClub and of course we can not forget CBGBS!

Wow... Those are some amazing spots! What are your first memories of CBGBS? Was it what you expected?

Back in those days you didn't even want to touch the walls, and forget about using the toilet! The first night I went, I remember walking in and having my mind blown seeing Velvet Underground legend John Cale sitting at the bar. We talked, I invited him to our show, and he came!


Amazing ! Talk about an icon! The Velvet Underground were / and still are influences of new generations of artist. Just like you are! Who were some of your influences back then and who now influences you?

Well, the first record I ever bought was Petula Clark. The B's covered her hit Downtown on their first record! I love all sorts of music. I listen to everything from way back in the day blues artists, to bands today like Tame Impala , Bjork, and The Dandy Warhols to visual artist like Salvador Dali. I love art that challenges thought, yet has a beauty to it.

The B52 have always been know for their artistic flamboyant style. Where did that originate?

Back then it was just completely original. Retro was new and kitschy. It was making fun of Americana and pop culture. the whole vintage thing had not caught on yet and you could snag amazing stuff for dirt cheap at thrift stores. We were just clowning around and it was a way to entertain our friends and ourselves. A woman named Laverne in Athens did the beehives and bouffants back then. She taught me how to do it myself. I was using my own hair until it became clear that wigs were going to work out better. After a while I tended to settle into a favorite style...a bouffant with a ponytail like Bridgett Bardot. It was inspired by those 60s beach movies with Frankie Avalon! There was a biker chick in those movies who had a great look with that style.

That is so cool!! Speaking of wigs, you performed at one of the very first Wigstocks, hosted by Lady Bunny, who is also.featured in this issue. Tell us a little about that and how you got involved.



There was this mass exodus in the early 1980s of people from Atlanta to NYC. We were friends with Tom Rubinez a film maker known for his 'Pickle Surprise' and 'Strawberry Shortcut' films starring Bunny. He would take us out and around. You would see people in the clubs from back home. There were so many fun events, but Wigstock was a blast. I wore a gigantic wig I hand made from chicken wire! Its now known as the infamous birdcage wig, and is on display at the UGA special collections archive! I got to perform Hero Worship, Ain't it a Shame , and She Breaks for Rainbows off our Bouncing off the Satellites record which had just recently come out.


Cosmic Thing was the next record to come out after Bouncing off the Satellites. It was a game changer and gave the world three classic back to back hits Roam, Deadbeat Club, and Love Shack. The videos for all three were ground breaking. What do you recall as the highlights of that time and making videos?



That album showed our resilience and power over tragedy after the loss of my brother Ricky. It represented a look back to the Athens we used to know. The Love Shack video in particular was so fun. We shot it in up state NY. There were TONS of extras. Lots of friends. I loved the Soul Train inspired line dance sequences. That 'made' the video. It gave it an air of all inclusive fun. So much good energy. And we introduced the world to the now iconic RuPaul!!


Lets fast forward a bit now and tell everyone about the solo project you are currently working on!

A few years ago I met Ryan Monohan, one of the most incredible musicians I have ever worked with. We decided to go into the studio together and just experiment with sound. Suni Lyons, a friend of Ryan who is a highly sought after studio engineer and producer got involved. We started writing more and he became an integral part of the project. He really helped get the sound together and the next thing we knew there was an albums worth of songs! They are both some of the most creative people I have ever worked with and it shows in the final product.


What I have heard is amazingly good and I think its going to blow peoples minds.Tell everyone a little about what to expect.

This solo work is a big departure from what people have heard me do over the hears. Even the way I am using my voice on these recordings is different. We are using lots of programming, synths,horns, strings, flute... We brought in Lemuel Hayes , a drummer from Nashville we all love and work with to round out the beats! The sounds are very atmospheric and lush. Nostalgic yet modern. Cosmic. Celestial.

Are there plans for any live shows?

Yes! We are currently rehearsing the songs live with a few surprises added in. We are planning a mixed media experience. Not just your typical concert going experience where the songs take you to different places... We've added elements of film, theater, costuming. Its going to be a spectacular show. I cant wait for people to see it.

Punk Globe would like to thank Warholboy for the fantastic interview with the fabulous Cindy Wilson.. We can't wait to hear her new solo project.