Soul singer had several ‘70s hits

Al Wilson, 68, a soul singer and songwriter who had a number of 1970s hits, including “Show and Tell,” died of kidney failure Monday at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana, said his son, Tony Wilson of Yucaipa.

Wilson was born June 19, 1939, in Meridian, Miss., where he sang in the church choir as a child. His family moved to San Bernardino in the 1950s, and he found work as a letter carrier, office clerk and janitor.

He toured with the group Johnny “Legs” Harris and the Statesmen before joining the Navy for a two-year stint. He then moved to Los Angeles and played with the Jewels and their successor group, the Rollers. A drummer, he also worked with the instrumental group the Souls.

In 1966, he was spotted by manager Marc Gordon, who introduced him to singer Johnny Rivers, who signed him to his Soul City label. Wilson had a hit with his first single, “The Snake,” in 1968.

“Show and Tell” was released in late 1973 and the next year reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

Wilson charted with several other 1970s singles, including “La La Peace Song” and “I’ve Got a Feeling (We’ll Be Seeing Each Other Again).”