Willie Wilcox

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John "Willie" Wilcox (born September 21, 1951, in Glens Falls, NY) is an American drummer, vocalist, producer, recording engineer, sound designer, composer and senior audio director. He is best known for being a member of the band Utopia. He also has been the senior audio director for Bally Technologies and Scientific Games in Las Vegas, Nevada from 2010 to 2020.

Biography[]

Equipment[]

Throughout his career with Utopia, Wilcox has been photographed playing drumsets by Sonor, Yamaha Recording Series, Leedy and Ludwig, and is currently endorsed by Ludwig Drum Company.

Wilcox's most memorable drumset was a motorcycle-shaped electronic percussion configuration nicknamed "Trapparatus". It consisted of pads and pedals which triggered electronic percussion sounds, mounted on an actual motorcycle frame and topped with conventional cymbals. Wilcox can be seen playing the Trapparatus in early '80s Utopia concerts, as well as an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show. According to Utopia keyboardist Roger Powell, the Trapparatus was destroyed in 1986 when a warehouse containing most of Utopia's touring equipment was set ablaze by arsonists.[1]

In the early 1980s he became an endorser of Sonor drums, and is seen playing a Sonor Signature drumset in Utopia's concert videos An Evening With Utopia and Live In Boston 1982. Early in his career Wilcox played Zildjian cymbals, switching to Sabian cymbals in the mid 1980s.[2]

As of 2017 Wilcox played a 4-piece Sonor Delite drumset with Sabian cymbals, Remo drumheads and Vic Firth drumsticks.[3]

For the 2018 Utopia reunion, Wilcox announced that he was returning to the Ludwig Drum Company, and played a turquoise sparkle kit on the tour. This kit appears with the band on their July 2018 performance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.

Discography[]

  • Daryl Hall and John Oates “War Babies” (1974 Atlantic Records)
  • Todd Rundgren “Initiation” (1975 Bearsville Records)
  • Todd Rundgren and Utopia “Live at The Hammersmith Odeon ’75” (1975 Shout Factory)
  • Daryl Hall and John Oates “No Goodbyes” (1977 Atlantic Records)
  • Dan Hartman “Images” (1976 Blue Sky Records)
  • Steve Hillage “L” (1976, CBS Records)
  • Utopia “Ra “ (1977, Bearsville Records)
  • Utopia Oops! Wrong Planet” (1977,
  • Meat Loaf “Bat Out of Hell “ (1977, Cleveland International Records)
  • Todd Rundgren “Back To The Bars” (1978 Bearsville Records)
  • Shaun Cassidy “Wasp” (1980, Warner Bros.)
  • Candi and the Back Beat “Good Together” (1980 I.R.S. Records)
  • Utopia “Adventures in Utopia” (1980, Bearsville Records)
  • Utopia “Deface the Music” (1980, Bearsville Records)
  • Utopia “Swing to the Right “ (1982, Bearsville Records)
  • David Lasley “Missing Twenty Grand” (Emi Records 1982)
  • Utopia “Utopia “ (1982, Network Records)
  • The Rubinoos “Party of Two” (1983, Berserkly Records)
  • Todd Rundgren and Utopia ”One World” DVD (1983 Toei Video)
  • Utopia “Oblivion” (1984, Passport Records)
  • Utopia “POV” (1985, Passport Records)
  • Stacy Q “We Connect” (single) (1986 Atlantic Records)
  • Stacy Q “Better then Heaven” (LP) (1986 Atlantic Records)
  • Utopia “Trivia” (1987, Gem Records)
  • Brian Briggs “Brain Damage (1988 Bearsville Records
  • Gregory Hines “I’m Gonna Get To You” (1988 Epic Records)
  • James Young “Out On A Day Pass” (1988 Full Blast Records)
  • Rory Block “Turning Point” (1989 Zensor)
  • Utopia “Anthology” (1989 Rhino Records)
  • Utopia “Redux '92: Live in Japan” (1992 BMG)
  • Utopia “Oblivion, POV & Some Trivia” (1996)
  • Utopia “Official Bootleg Tokyo '79 “ (1999)
  • Utopia Live in Boston: 1982 DVD Utopia (2004)
  • Utopia “Live at The Waldorf” (2015 Esoteric Records)
  • Utopia “Live At The Chicago Theatre” DVD (2018 Cleopatra Records)

References[]

  1. ^ Paul Myers, A Wizard A True Star, Todd Rundgren in the Studio
  2. ^ Robyn Flans Modern Drummer magazine, June 1984
  3. ^ Drumhead magazine, issue No. 55
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