R&B singer Al Wilson, 67, who had a No. 1 hit in 1974 with “Show and Tell,” lost the master tapes to his hit songs to a fire in his San Bernardino, Calif., home studio on Monday, reported the Inland Press-Enterprise.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how much he lost,” Alder said. “It’s so invaluable. The master records, the famous songs: really, really important stuff to him. I don’t think you can put a price tag on it.” […]
The last several years of his career have seen Wilson tour festivals and nightclubs, including gigs at San Bernardino’s Route 66 Rendezvous and at the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Highland.
Alder said neither he nor his firefighters knew who Wilson was until going inside to salvage his belongings.
“We saw all the trophies and awards, and thought, ‘Either this guy’s a big fan, or someone famous,’ ” Alder said.
I saw Wilson perform at the John Steinbeck Awards dinner in San Bernardino in 2005. He was a superb singer.
To give you a taste of Wilson’s talent, a YouTube video that uses “Show and Tell” as the soundtrack to a photo montage.