Wilson Phillips' Hold On In Bridesmaids: A Memorable Scene

Wilson Phillips is an American pop vocal group formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The group consists of sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas. The group's 1990 debut album included five major US hit singles, four of which were in the Top 10, with Hold On reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2011, the group made a cameo appearance in the film Bridesmaids, performing Hold On.

Wilson Phillips' cameo in the film Bridesmaids

The pop vocal group Wilson Phillips made a cameo appearance in the 2011 film Bridesmaids, performing their 1990 hit song "Hold On". The film's director, Paul Feig, and writers, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, chose the song for the film's wedding scene after polling people on set for their favourite wedding songs. Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" won by a landslide, beating out Stevie Wonder and Cher.

Carnie Wilson, Chynna Phillips, and Wendy Wilson, the three members of Wilson Phillips, were contacted by the film's producers and agreed to appear in the film. Carnie Wilson later said that she "had no idea how funny the movie was going to be". The band's cameo and song choice were a surprise to the cast and crew, who "freaked out" when they found out.

The film's closing scene features Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig performing a hilariously intense dance routine, complete with lip-syncing and lyric-miming, to Wilson Phillips' performance of "Hold On".

The band's performance of Hold On in the film

The 2011 comedy Bridesmaids features a cameo from Wilson Phillips, who perform their song "Hold On". The film stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, and the band's performance is accompanied by a hilariously intense dance routine from the two lead actresses, complete with lip-syncing and lyric-miming.

The song was written by Chynna Phillips about her own recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. In an interview, Phillips said that the song's message of "hold on for one more day" was what kept her going during her recovery. She also said that she never imagined that the song would become so iconic and help so many people.

The band's performance in the film has given "Hold On" a new lease of life, and the song has since been featured on Glee and in a Progressive Insurance commercial. Wilson Phillips have also appeared on TV and at a couple's wedding in Bali to recreate their famous scene from the film.

The band's appearance in Bridesmaids came about simply because the filmmakers called them up and asked them to be in it. Band member Carnie Wilson said that they knew it would be a smart move to get their name back out into the public sphere, and that the film's producers had made some of her favourite movies. She also said that she had no idea how funny the movie was going to be.

The band's history and formation

Wilson Phillips is an American pop vocal group formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The group consists of sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas. The three women grew up together in the Los Angeles area in the 1970s and 80s, and shared a love of music, developing their singing and vocal harmonies.

In 1986, Phillips had been approached about putting together a group of children born to famous parents for a charity single. Phillips knew the Wilsons would be perfect for the project, so she reached out to them. To prepare, the three women gathered in Wendy's bedroom, where they sat cross-legged on the floor, playing albums by artists they loved and flexing their voices. They began to harmonise together, and Phillips taught herself how to sing harmony.

In 1989, the trio landed a deal with SBK Records. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1990, sold over 10 million copies worldwide and included five major US hit singles, four of which made it into the Top 10, with three peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The group's debut single, "Hold On," hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1990, and became a hit in several other countries. The song was written by Phillips about her recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

In 1991, the group contributed a version of the song "Daniel" to the tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin. Their second album, Shadows and Light, was released in 1992. The album was deeply personal and adopted a more serious tone, with tracks exploring issues such as child abuse and their estrangement from their fathers. Shortly after the album's release, the group decided to break up, and Phillips announced plans for a solo career.

In 2004, the group reunited to release a new album, California, a collection of cover songs. They appeared in the film Bridesmaids in 2011, performing "Hold On." In 2012, they released Dedicated, a studio album composed of covers of songs by both The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas. The group has continued to perform and make television appearances, and in 2022, they competed in season eight of The Masked Singer.

The band's success and awards

Wilson Phillips, the American pop vocal group, formed in Los Angeles in 1989, and quickly rose to fame. The group consists of sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, and Chynna Phillips, daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas.

Their debut album, Wilson Phillips, released in 1990, sold over 10 million copies worldwide and included five major US hit singles, four of which were in the Top 10, with three peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Their debut single, "Hold On", topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on 9 June 1990, beating Madonna's "Vogue". It also became a hit in several other countries, peaking at number two in Australia, number six in the UK, and number seven in Ireland. The single won the group the Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year in 1990. The second single, "Release Me", spent two weeks at number one, and their third single, "Impulsive", became another top-ten hit. The album's success led to Wilson Phillips becoming the first all-female act to have the best-selling album of all time, with 8 million copies sold worldwide.

The group has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. They have also been nominated for two American Music Awards and won the Billboard Music Award in 1990. In addition to their commercial success, the group has also received critical acclaim, with their album being certified platinum in the US.

Wilson Phillips' success continued with their second album, Shadows and Light, which was released in 1992. The album was deeply personal and explored serious issues such as child abuse and their estrangement from their fathers. The first single, "You Won't See Me Cry", charted in both the US and the UK, with the album peaking at number four on the US Billboard 200. The group's success and critical acclaim led to them making a cameo appearance in the 2011 film Bridesmaids, performing "Hold On".

The band's reunion and other appearances

Wilson Phillips reunited in 2004 to release a new album, California, a collection of cover songs. The single "Go Your Own Way," a cover of the popular song by Fleetwood Mac, peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The album performed moderately well on the charts, debuting and peaking at number 35 on the US Billboard 200 chart, with 31,000 copies sold in its first week of release.

On October 12, 2010, the group released a Christmas album, Christmas in Harmony. The album included a single, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day," a cover of the hit 1973 song by English glam-rock band Wizzard.

In 2011, the band made a cameo appearance in the film Bridesmaids, performing "Hold On." Chynna Phillips explained that the song was written by herself, Carnie, and Wendy about Chynna's recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

On March 20, 2012, the group appeared on QVC to promote their release Dedicated, a studio album composed of covers of songs by The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas. On April 3, 2012, the group released Dedicated, which peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The trio also appeared in their own reality show, Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On, which debuted on TV Guide Network in April 2012.

In July 2016, Wilson Phillips reunited and performed on ABC's Greatest Hits. In 2017, the group performed on the season finale of NBC's The New Celebrity Apprentice.

In 2022, Wilson Phillips competed in season eight of The Masked Singer as the "Lambs." They became the first group act to advance to the finale and finished as runners-up. They also released a cover version of Harry Styles's song "Boyfriends."

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