“I had to accept it” — Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips opens up on the real reason why the girl group broke up

Carnie Wilson is best known for featuring in Wilson Phillips, a girl band formed in 1986.

The band eventually dissolved by the 90s as Chynna Phillips wanted to build a career separately, but now Wilson Phillips is back. The members have seemingly set aside their differences and collaborated on various records and live performances. The most recent of which was at the afterparty for 90s Con in Hartford last month.

Recently, while appearing as a guest on Billy Corgan’s podcast The Magnificent Others, Wilson discussed how things were for the girls at their peak and how Chynna Phillips’ desire to go solo ultimately ended their initial run. She said,

"I had to accept it. I remember crying on the phone to [producer] Glen [Ballard] saying, ‘How could somebody walk away from something so successful?’... It hasn’t ended. I couldn’t get over, I couldn’t get past the shock."

Wilson Phillips examined

Sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips banded together to form Wilson Phillips. Interestingly enough, their story began after their parents, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and John Phillips of the Mamas and Papas, met at a basketball game in 1968 and quickly became close friends. Chynna Phillips spoke on this connection with Rolling Stone in a 2020 interview.

“[Our dads] formed a really close bond, and of course me and Carnie and then Wendy all formed a very close bond as little girls. I used to go over to their house almost every single weekend, and we would play and sing and dance and put on shows and hang out together and swim. They became just a real fabric of my life.”

Carnie began her conversation with Corgan, echoing a similar sentiment, and adding why they eventually split from her perspective.

"The three of us have been friends since birth. We couldn’t come together with the pressure. Musically, we could come together, but spiritually and individually, inside of us was the egos."

As things began to become competitive between the girls, Carnie grew disheartened and upset, especially as Chynna continued to feel the need to branch out on her own.

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"I feel like that’s the best way to get the most out of it. You want to be a solo artist? Great. But when it’s the three of us, it’s the three of us. And clearly the proof is in the pudding. That’s what made the group, is the three.”

The three have reunited after all this time, even going as far as recording Dedicated together, a cover album boasting songs by both the Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas.

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