Music

Charlie Wilson Remembers Late Nephew Andre, Who Sang on "We Can Freak It," as 'Gifted Young Man'

"I'm gonna miss him," Charlie said of his late nephew.

Charlie Wilson performing on stage in a blue sequined jacket, wearing sunglasses and holding a microphone with "Charlie" in glitter.
Image via Getty/Bennett Raglin/ESSENCE

Andre “Boogie” Wilson is being remembered as “a really gifted young man” following the singer’s death this week at the age of 58.

In a short conversation with a TMZ paparazzo alongside El DeBarge, seen in full here, Andre’s uncle, Charlie Wilson, shared some timely words of tribute in reaction to his nephew’s death.

Per the report, Andre, who can be heard on numerous tracks including Kurupt’s 1998 track “We Can Freak It,” died from pancreatic cancer. A GoFundMe page has been launched by family, with the money raised set to go toward funeral expenses and medical costs.

“He was a really gifted young man, very gifted,” Charlie told TMZ. “He could sing, he could write. I’m gonna miss him. God knows when it’s time to go. Nobody knows that, knows the hours, knows the minutes.”

El DeBarge also spoke about Andre, offering a “rest in peace” and a forward-thinking declaration of “We still here.”

Andre, the son of Charlie’s brother, Gap Band member Ronnie Wilson, had been “suffering for a long period of time,” according to a statement shared by his family. During his career, he worked with Snoop Dogg and Faith Evans, among others.

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