Alan Christie Wilson (July 4, 1943 – September 3, 1970), nicknamed "Blind Owl", was an American musician, best known as the co-founder, leader, co-lead singer, and primary composer of the blues band Canned Heat. He sang and played harmonica and guitar with the group, live and on recordings.

Aug 6, 2024 · The mysterious death of the Canned Heat co-founder remains one of the most heartbreaking events in the history of rock and roll; his music managed to unite the disparate subcultures of 1960s rock fans, and the songs he wrote have lived on even after Wilson departed.

Cofounder of Canned Heat. Alan Wilson is widely remembered as a pioneer of blues-rock during its crucial development period of the 1960s. Wilson’s devoted fans considered him one of the most brilliant, innovative, and sadly under-recognized artists of his era. His recording career spanned only three years, cut short in 1970 by his untimely death.

It was launched by two blues enthusiasts Alan Wilson and Bob Hite, who took the name from Tommy Johnson's 1928 "Canned Heat Blues", a song about an alcoholic who had desperately turned to drinking Sterno, generically called "canned heat".

Sep 28, 2021 · Canned Heat under Fito remains active even today, with its live shows still offering brief glimpses of the band's late '60s glory.

Oct 19, 2018 · In truth, the Canned Heat of 1981 aren’t the band they used to be. They haven’t been since September 1970, when Alan ‘Blind Owl’ Wilson – guitarist, co-founder and the band’s beating musical heart – died in mysterious circumstances near their lead singer’s house. Despite it all, the Heat still know how to have a good time if nothing else.

Jul 4, 2020 · ‘Blind Owl’ Wilson, who died on 3 September 1970 and thus joined the infamous ’27 Club,’ was co-founder and principal writer with Canned Heat. This is their story. Born on 4 July 1943, two...

Jul 4, 2024 · Just one month later, on September 3rd, Wilson is found dead in Bob Hite’s (Canned Heat) home in Topanga Canyon, he was only 27. His death was referenced as suicide by barbiturate intoxication. Reportedly he was suffering from depression and had already tried to commit suicide earlier that year.

Though he co-founded and co-fronted the legendary sixties blues rock band, Canned Heat, Alan was an unlikely “rock star”. As the band’s primary musical arranger, he drew upon his scholarly knowledge of blues roots music to create the music which would become synonymous with the Woodstock generation.

Jan 21, 2009 · After releasing an album of covers in ’67, the band recorded their first album of originals in late ’67, Boogie with Canned Heat, which included On The Road Again, featuring Wilson’s distinctive tenor vocal coupled with hard driving …