Punk Rock Producer and Engineer Thom Wilson Has Died
Epitaph Records has revealed that Thom Wilson, a respected punk rock producer and engineer, has died. He passed away a week ago on Sunday, March 8. Epitaph’s CEO Brett Gurewitz shared this message:
In '82 when I was just getting started Thom Wilson was a guy all the bands in the scene looked up to. He was the pro in our midst who loved punk and was willing to take kids under his wing to help them sound great. His work with TSOL and The Adolescents set the bar for everything that came after, including The Offspring’s multi-platinum LP Smash, which was the best-selling independent release of all time. Tom was a friend, a teacher, and a great producer. He’ll be missed.
Before establishing himself as a sought-after punk rock producer, Wilson began his career in the ‘70s working with artists like Seals & Crofts. Then, as Gurewitz noted, Wilson went on to work with T.S.O.L. and produced the Adolescents’ 1981 eponymous debut.
From there, Wilson worked with a number of punk acts, including the Dead Kennedys, the Vandals, the Bouncing Souls, Social Distortion, Bad Religion and many more. He notably produced the Offspring’s first three albums: their 1989 self-titled debut, 1992’s Ignition and 1994’s Smash.
Our thoughts are with Wilson’s friends and family.