Why Charlie Wilson Might’ve Used His ‘Masked Singer’ Costume at Coachella (Unique)

Even after 5 a long time within the music trade, Charlie Wilson discovered The Masked Singer to be vocally difficult.

“They’d me singing it upstairs and so they may see if I may sing it. I mentioned, ‘Nicely, are you able to carry it down some? It is slightly excessive,’” Wilson, 71, tells PEOPLE of testing his vary as Ugly Sweater. “I believe they bought uninterested in that. It is like, ‘No, you bought to sing these songs in the identical key all people else is singing it in.’ So I used to be like, ‘OK.'”

The co-founder of The Hole Band was eradicated on Queen Night time on April 17 after singing “I Wish to Break Free.”

“I want I may have went all the best way, but it surely simply did not work that means for me” he says. “And I used to be advantageous with it. Anyone bought to chunk the mud, so it appears to be like prefer to me, ‘Ugly Sweater, you are the one going to chunk the mud.’ ”

Away from stage, “I would not put on an unpleasant sweater,” the 13-time Grammy nominee jokes.

Wilson, who launched his newest single “Superman” in December, shares which previous Masked Singer winner impressed him to go on the present, the way it felt when Robin Thicke guessed his identification and the way his spouse of 29 years, Mahin, pushed again in opposition to Kanye West within the recording studio.

What appealed to you about doing The Masked Singer at this level in your profession?

Once I did see Masked Singer again within the day, it was when T-Ache gained the entire thing. I used to be so excited for him. After they had him sing once more, I used to be like, “Oh man, I’ve by no means heard that voice truly earlier than, apart from when he was writing a music for me again within the day.” However I might virtually forgot it with out the auto-tune on it. So it seemed prefer it was a number of enjoyable and I needed to do it too.

How did performing as Ugly Sweater differ from what you’re used to?

The ugly sweater costume was so, so heavy. They needed to take a number of the hair out of the highest of it, the feathers, as a result of I believe every a kind of feathers weighed 20 lbs. or one thing like that. If I bent down, it was like I used to be going to fall over. The swimsuit weighed about 200 and one thing lbs. I used to be already weighing 180 lbs., plus the 200 lbs., that was virtually 300 lbs. I barely may stroll.

What did you make of the guesses the judges made for you, which included Smokey Robinson, Ronald Isley, Eddie Levert and Aaron Neville?

I used to be in there laughing.

After which Robin guessed you fairly early on.

Once I began singing, Robin Thicke mentioned, “That is Charlie Wilson proper there.” He mentioned, “I do know his voice. I’ve studied him once I was a child and I do know his voice just like the again of my hand, and I do know that is Charlie Wilson’s voice proper there.” And I used to be like, “Wow. I am toast.”

Had you been getting messages from family and friends members who suspected you had been Ugly Sweater?

Oh, no. I would not inform them anyway. I am trying on the YouTube, I am taking a look at all people saying, “Charlie Wilson, Charlie Wilson, Charlie Wilson, Charlie Wilson.” I am telling my associates and my relations, “I do not know as a result of I do not watch The Masked Singer. I watched it a very long time in the past and that is when T-Ache gained it. All people’s like, “Nicely, they’re saying it is you.” I mentioned, “Nicely, allow them to guess.”

In your clue bundle, there have been a number of references to a number of the artists you have labored with all through your profession. Who shocked you essentially the most by way of being completely different from their public persona?

Kanye. He was the one which shocked me essentially the most. As a result of he used to have a sort of a state of affairs whenever you’d come to the studio, all people needed to be suited and booted. All the engineers needed to be wearing swimsuit and ties and all of that stuff. So I got here in there breaking guidelines. I did not get nothing about none of that. However he allowed me. I had my telephone and no person’s purported to have a telephone. No one was purported to ever document, and I used to be up in there recording. And my spouse shocked him. She’s very opinionated. She mentioned no matter she needed to say, and generally he did not prefer it, however he could not say nothing as a result of I used to be sitting there. He bought to do not forget that’s my spouse and he could not say too many issues. So we ended up being actually, actually, actually shut.

And it was the identical factor with Snoop Dogg. They was attempting to determine, “Man, who is that this girl, man, telling us we will not smoke and might’t do that right here?” As a result of I used to be recovering the primary time I bought with Snoop from medicine and stuff.

Did you get pleasure from performing with Tyler, the Creator at Coachella throughout Weekend One?

It was wonderful. It was simply freezing. I used to be so chilly and I used to be so excessive up above the viewers. That wind was blowing like about 25, 30 miles an hour and plus, like 39 or 40 levels. I used to be simply shaking and could not get my lyrics, could not get my telephone out. It was tough. Now I do know if I ever return there once more, I do know to have on huge turtlenecks and my huge pants and a few boots, scarves and an enormous coat. As a result of these tents that that they had, man, did not work for me. That chilly air [was] taking my throat away. It is like singing in a fridge. If I might had the Ugly Sweater on, I may have got here on the market and wrecked the place!

You talked about on the present how your spouse didn’t know who you had been whenever you two first met. What has it meant to have her by your aspect?

My spouse, she’s Persian. I used to listen to, “Charlie Wilson’s bought a white spouse.” My spouse is just not white, she’s Persian! And he or she did not know something about me or that I used to be a singer. As a matter of truth, her sisters in Iran on the time thought I used to be as huge as Michael Jackson, as a result of they did not know something about me both. They solely knew who Michael Jackson was. I ended up with my spouse and she or he was the one to stroll me via the highs and lows. She do not stand for no BS. So I am completely satisfied. I am having an excellent time being who I’m, and I am not attempting to be anyone else.

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The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.