As much as we love all things Charlie Wilson, one thing we don’t give him enough credit for is his longevity. Since The Gap Band’s arrival on the scene in the early 70s, he’s blessed us with hit after hit for decades. And with his latest single, “Forever Valentine,” Billboard reports that Uncle Charlie has become the first artist to score number one hits in each of the last three decades.
“Blessed to announce #ForeverValentine is the #1 song at radio on the @Billboard & Mediabase charts!” he tweeted. “Thank you to my fans, radio & my team @PMusicGroup! Also BIG congrats to @BrunoMars @Stereotypes & @DMile85! WE DID THAT!”
Co-written and co-produced by Bruno Mars, “Forever Valentine” marks Uncle Charlie’s seventh No. 1 entry on Billboard’s Adult R&B charts.
From Billboard:
Here’s a full roster of Wilson’s leaders on the chart since it began in 1993:
(Song Title, Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1)
“Charlie Last Name: Wilson,” six, Sept. 17, 2005
“There Goes My Baby,” nine, March 21, 2009
“You Are,” 13, Dec. 18, 2010
“My Love Is All I Have,” five, Feb. 16, 2013
“I’m Blessed,” two, April 22, 2017
“Chills,” three, March 31, 2018
“Forever Valentine” one to date, May 9, 2020
With “Valentine,” he also ties Maxwell and some guy named R. Kelly for the most leaders on the list by a male act in the chart’s 26-year history.
Simply put, the Tulsa, Okla., native isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“I am so happy and proud of ‘Forever Valentine,’” Wilson told Billboard. “Bruno had the vision and we always wanted to work together musically. To have a No. 1 song in May with ‘Valentine’ in the title proves what we set out to accomplish in this record. It is actually an ‘Anti-Valentine’s Day’ love song because we want you to celebrate love not just on Valentine’s Day but every day.”
He added, “After 20 years since my first hit as a solo artist, it’s amazing to consistently earn these No. 1 songs. I so appreciate radio and the streaming services for all of their support over the years.”
You can get your two-step on to Uncle Charlie’s latest hit below.