Singer and songwriter; talk show and game show host; actor and author; producer and entrepreneur; reality competition judge and participant; and, at present, host of the cooking show Sounds Delicious with Carnie Wilson on AXS TV.
Carnie Wilson, of course, is the daughter of Brian Wilson of the classic American rock band The Beach Boys and a bona fide music artist in her own right. She co-founded the pop music trio Wilson Phillps (with her younger sister Wendy and childhood friend Chynna Phillips), which between 1990 and 1992 had two multi-platinum Top 5 albums, five Grammy Award nominations, and a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year (for Hold On). But music is just one category in Wilson’s multi-faceted career in show business, which unofficially began after high school doing voiceovers, appearing in commercials (for BF Goodrich and Mardi Gras paper towels), and going on auditions.
“As the daughter of Brian Wilson, there were inherent challenges,” noted Carnie Wilson. “I did not have a typical household growing up where we would sit around the table and talk about our day. It was erratic. It was weird and crazy. And I was self-sabotaging. But I always tried to be a real person, and my mother kept me grounded. ‘You are no different than the plumber’s daughter and the doctor’s daughter,’ she used to say.”
After finding an agent and taking head shots, Carnie Wilson’s initial aspiration was to pursue a career in acting.
“I have very early memories of wanting to put on a show for whoever came to our house,” remembered Wilson. “There were so many parties and guests – from industry people and friends to artists. And it was just sort of, by fluke, that Chynna (Phillips) came over with Mama Cass’s daughter (Owen Vanessa Eliot), and we talked about recording songs with other artist kids – the Zappa, the Garcia, and the Donovan kids. When nobody wanted to do it, together we planned to record one song and release it for charity.”
“Owen’s voice did not really blend with our voices. She was clearly more like a solo type of artist,” she added. “So, it was Chynna, Wendy, and me. That is how Wilson Phillips began. We started harmonizing together and writing songs with Glenn Ballard, and we got a record deal. It was off to the races!”
Wilson Phillips
In 1990, the trio’s debut single, Hold On, hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Next was the single Release Me, which also rose to No. 1, followed by Impulsive, another Top 10 hit. Fans of the blockbuster comedic theatrical Bridesmaids in 2011, meanwhile, will remember Wilson Phillips appearing at the end of the film.
“The phone rang with an offer to be in this Judd Apatow movie,” recalled Wilson. “It was that simple. I would have said yes even if it was a horror movie. Who would not want to be associated with Judd Apatow and these women? And Bridemaids, I think, introduced our music to a whole new generation.”
From Music to Talk
“At the time, I had gone on The Howard Stern Show and he was coming down on me for my weight and I was fighting back and holding my own,” said Wilson. “Then one of the producers, who used to produce Sally Jesse Raphael, called up Telepictures and said I would be perfect to host a talk show. It was fun to ride that train, and then get off. It only lasted one year, and it was stressful because I was not totally myself on it. But it gave me the ability to be the host and work with the prompter. As a result, I wound up hosting other TV shows from that.”
“One door opens another,” she said.
Following Wilson’s daytime talk show there were more opportunities. Included were guest roles on television, appearances on the reality/competition series Celebrity Fit Club on VH1 and Gone Country on CMT, and host of the reboot of the classic game show The Newlywed Game on GSN. Wilson was also the subject of the GSN docuseries, Carnie Wilson Unstapled, which chronicled her battle with weight loss. She was the judge of the ABC competition series Karaoke Battle USA. And there was the docuseries Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On, which followed the journey of the rebirth of the musical group.
Then, unfortunately, there was also a period that Wilson refers to as “hitting rock bottom.”
“My weight was up and now. I started having health issues. My fiancé and I broke up. I did Playboy and started drinking too much. Then I met my current husband, had bypass surgery, and focused on my health. I got sober and then got pregnant. Then my whole world changed,” remembered Wilson. “Not upside down, but in a different direction with my beautiful family, and so many things in between.”
“Fortunately, I never stopped working. I had a big voiceover career and was still doing auditions and other things, and I started getting into cooking and baking,” she said. “It’s hard to have a multi career with kids, but I always seem to. I am a multi-tasker, so it’s kind of natural for me.”
On the entrepreneurial side, Wilson and her business partner, childhood friend Tiffany Miller, opened Love Bites by Carnie, a café/bakery specializing in gourmet bite-sized cookies and other delicacies.
“We spent a long time getting off the ground, developing recipes, and building a space out in Oregon. We made millions of cheesecakes for Trader Joe’s and were on our way to do a second round and then COVID hit,” noted Wilson. “Like so many other businesses, we just could not survive. It was a tragedy, but it did not diminish my love for cooking and baking.”
“I have been cooking a long time, and I’m such a food lover. I got to know about cooking through different methods and recipes,” she said. “Then I started watching the Food Network and began working with them.”
Wilson made the rounds on Food Network, winning competition series Chopped in 2013, guest-judging on Beat Bobby Flay, and competing Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.
“I don’t think anybody really knew that I’m a very serious cook. I have not been to school for it, but I love food. I am obsessed with cookbooks. And I have been cooking for many years,” noted Wilson. “I think it made sense for me to do a cooking show. And I thought, or at least hoped, that someone would let me be myself – crazy, silly and wacky – in an environment where my love of food would be contagious. Flash to now and here I am, doing what I love to do, on AXS TV.
Sounds Delicious with Carnie Wilson
Debuting on April 16, Sounds Delicious with Carnie Wilson is described as a blend of music, food, and conversation. “Unflinching and unfiltered, Wilson welcomes viewers into the kitchen for a real and raw look into her passion for the culinary arts,” reads the descriptor.
“I love to cook, and I love music – we’re combining them both,” said Carnie. “Music, food, friends, and the love of life and the love of celebrating food and friendship and family. That’s what I think of when I think of eating, and I think of the kitchen. And that is what we do on Sounds Delicious. We talk, we eat, we sing…we’re having a party in the kitchen!”
The celebrity roster stopping by for food and banter on Sounds Delicious with Carnie Wilson, which airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET, includes John Stamos, Mark McGrath, Lisa Loeb, John Stamos, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Wendy Wilson, Shawn Stockman of BoyzIIMen, and American Idol runner-up David Archuleta.
“There’s so much negativity around us every day. There will always be war. There will always be political issues. And it was not that long ago that we were in a national pandemic,” noted Wilson. “Scary times. Negative things. But the one thing that people look forward to – and need and love and cherish – is food and friends.”
“I can’t think of anything better than cooking and being with people that I love and celebrating music and singing with them on the show,” she said. “We’re here to have a good time.”
