John Wilson Silhouettes Last Member Dies

The Rev. John Bootsie Wilson, a former lead singer and last surviving member of the soul group

The Silhouettes, has died. He was 69.

Wilson died Sept. 21 at his home in Spartanburg, S.C., after batting cancer and a kidney ailment, his wife, Pauline, said. The Philadelphia native joined The Silhouettes in 1961, after the original lead singer left the group, perhaps best known for the 1958 smash hit “Get a Job", which stayed at No. 1 for 13 consecutive weeks. It was among the first rhythm and blues songs to cross over and become No. 1 on the pop charts.

They called “Get a Job" the national anthem of doo-wop. It spearheaded a whole subgenre of doo-wop, where the bass singer was the star, said Elaine Lewis, the widow of original member Richard Lewis, who wrote the song.

“Its an end of an era. The Silhouettes were one of the greatest vocal groups of all time", said Horner, who interviewed Wilson in April. Even though Wilson wasn't on the initial recording of “Get a Job", he added, “he was a big part of Silhouettes history. It's sad to realize The Silhouettes are gone now."
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