Wix Wickens
Paul “Wix” Wickens (born 27 March 1956) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Wickens has worked with artists including Paul McCartney, Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bon Jovi and many others. Wickens has also been a member of McCartney’s touring band since 1989.
In the early 1980s Wickens was a member of Woodhead Monroe, a band that issued two singles distributed by Stiff, “Mumbo Jumbo” and “Identify.”
Wickens began touring with Paul McCartney in 1989. As of then, he has appeared on many of McCartney’s albums and DVDs, and has become the musical director for many of McCartney’s tours. He continues to tour with McCartney (as his keyboardist, occasional guitarist and backing vocalist), and of the four musicians in McCartney’s touring band, he has worked with McCartney the longest by a considerable margin.
Wickens played on albums by Tommy Shaw of the American rock band Styx, the Damned, Tim Finn, Paul Carrack, Nik Kershaw, Jim Diamond, Boy George, and David Gilmour, and was the co-producer of the first Savage Progress album. He also was the keyboardist and programmer for Edie Brickell & New Bohemians album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars – which was where he first met Chris Whitten. Wickens was also instrumental in making the BANDAGED album the success it was, in aid of BBC Children in Need.
He attended Brentwood School, Essex where he became a friend of fellow student, the writer Douglas Adams, and performed at his memorial service in 2001. Wickens composed the music for the sequel radio productions of Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, originally broadcast in 2003–2004.
Wickens recorded a version of Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teen Spirit“, and has also been known for The The‘s minor UK hit “This Is the Day“, from their album Soul Mining.
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