#Mandatorytheapotropaeicgesture

He who is dear to the gods dies young...

Richard "Ricky" Helton Wilson
(1953-1985) Guitarist, keyboardist, member of the B52's.
He stood out technically among his peers of the prevailing new Wave for his nervous yet fluid rhythmic guitar style, slightly distorted, very '60s. Sometimes he removed the two middle strings from his guitar to achieve a sound that felt truly personal.
He discovered his homosexuality as a teenager but never made it a flag to wave nor claimed it publicly, never adopting openly gay poses, by personal choice.
Cause of death: AIDS or,
better, respiratory and pulmonary diseases related to HIV infection.
He is buried at Oconey Cemetery in Athens, Georgia.



The B-52's - Private Idaho (Official Audio)