This week is the anniversary of the birth of Ricky Wilson, one of the founding members of The B-52's, and brother of singer Cindy Wilson. Ricky played guitar with some wild tunings — he also would often remove the two middle strings, making his six-string a four, and creating a unique guitar sound found on the new wave pioneers' early albums. Sadly, he was also one of the first prominent rock artists to die of AIDS, passing away in 1985 at the age of just 32. Despite "Love Shack" and later hits, many think the band was never the same without Wilson. Join Jim McGuinn as we celebrate Ricky Wilson and the early days of the B-52s this week on Teenage Kicks.

Segments

Playlist, Hour 1

Playlist, Hour 2