Agnes Wilson is a professional nurse from San Francisco’s bay area who is better known as the mother of H.E.R. or Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, an R and B singer, songwriter, and musician. By the age of 22, Agnes’ daughter was the recipient of five Grammys; an album of the year and song of the year for Hard Place. She is also the very girl who rose to prominence as a child on the Today Show where she covered Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You.
Gabi grew up embracing her mother, Agnes’ culture, and heritage. The singer’s mother is among the woman who hailed from a developing nation and came to the states in pursuit of success and good life. Though as much as trendiness the I Used To Know singer is gaining, not much is heard about her parents including her mother, Agnes Wilson.
Here is her real story about Gabriella Sarmiento’s mother Agnes Wilson including her origin, relationship, and profession, and how influential she was on her daughter’s career.
Agnes Wilson Was Born In The Philipines
Agnes Wilson, fully Agnes Sarmiento Wilson grew up in Nueva Ecija, a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Though some suggest she was born in the Filipino city of Cabanatuan.
It is not clear when her family relocated to the US, but her family allegedly settled in Vallejo, California in the beginning. The mother of the Grammy nominee studied at Vallejo High School and later at Napa Valley College.
Agnes, who purportedly was born in May 1973, apparently comes from an extended family. She is also known as Agnes Sarmiento or Agnes Tingson or Agnes S Wilson.
It is presumed she grew up in Vallejo, California, a Filipino residential city in Northern California also where her family settled. Her artist daughter does have visited her mother’s hometown, Nueva Ecija in the Philipines.
H.E.R during an interview with Rappler said she has been to her mother’s hometown a few or two times. She additionally has explored the place where her mother spent her childhood. H.E.R said she and her family had a big vacation out there in Dec 2019 which apparently was very humbling to her.
Agnes Wilson Relationship With Her Husband Kenny
It remains to be known when and how did Agnes meet H.E.R.’s father, Kenny Wilson. The couple, however, is still together being the parents of two daughters, the Slow Down singer and her younger sister, Alex Wilson.
Sarmiento and Wilson raised their two daughters in Vallejo, California. Agnes’ husband is also equally responsible for the success of his and his Filipino wife’s first daughter.
In fact, H.E.R proudly credits him for his musical influence on her. The R and B artist in an interview revealed when she was growing up in the Bay Area, her father, who was then a construction worker did some music on the weekends. Agnes’ husband at the time was a member of a cover band named Urban Bushmen.
Because of Ken, his future singer daughter had the opportunity to become familiar with all sorts of instruments as her father’s bandmates used to rehearse in their living room.
Ken later taught his daughter Gabi to play the blues pentatonic scale. He was also the one who bought Gabi her first Fender guitar.
Wilson Is A Nurse For People In Rehabilitation
As for her own profession, H.E.R’s mother, Agnes is a nurse in the Vallejo area who works explicitly with rehabilitated patients. Some, on the other hand, believe the mother of two is employed at Kaiser Permanente based in Oakland, California.
During the initial phase of the pandemic 2020, Gabi told ABC Audio that her mother was among the health professionals who were helping people with covid-19.
The vocalist/guitarist says those times of her mother remaining in the hospital all day, and even for weeks are still very scary to her.
H.E.R. Is Proud Of Her Mother, Agnes Philippines Roots
Gabi has often expressed her pride in being a daughter of a Filipino. Once while talking about her mother with Inquirer, H.E.R. said,
“I’m so proud to be Filipino. And when I think about what I do this (music) for, I think about the values of my mother, who’s one of the kindest people I know.”
The now 25-year-old added that she and her family are not very materialistic and that the word family means very important to them.
H.E.R. said it is a very important aspect of Filipino culture. The Californian songstress has been holding her Filipina connection close to even her dailies; H.E.R. often eats rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She is also fond of longganisa and tocino, and pancit for snacks. And she is always ready for leche flan (caramel pudding, a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce).
Agnes Wilson’s Daughter H.E.R. Credits Her For Success
Gabi, the one who signed a record deal with Sony at 14, says she has been able to become successful mostly because of her mother’s beliefs and her support.
Agnes at one time carried H.E.R’s heavy equipment filled with musical gears whilst she was pregnant with the Focus singer’s sister. At the time, her daughter’s father was at work.
“But you know, my mom, when she was pregnant with my sister, and I had a performance, she carried my heavy equipment while my dad was at work. She really believed in me.”
said the Oscar winner in early 2021. H.E.R added the Pinay lady did whatever it took for her daughter to be able to do what she loved.
“If I’m going to do this – music is what I love – I have to go in 100 percent. My mom supported me on it. I’ve had the right team and the foundation to now be able to do it professionally and talk to you. I’m really thankful,”
stated the daughter of a Filipino mother.
Agnes Culture Along With Her Father’s Ancestry Has Taught H.E.R. A Lot, Says The Singer
H.E.R once revealed because she comes from two different cultures she feels like taking from both of them. The Soul Train winner says that because her mother is from the Philippines and her father is from down South, she has a beautiful life experience.
The AMA nominee claims she has a good grasp of what’s it like to be a Filipino coming to America and trying to be successful and have a good life. H.E.R in an interview stated those two different perspectives have given her so much knowledge and wisdom.
When talking to the Inquirer just before the 2021 Grammy, Gabi said it was the values that she obtained from her Filipino mother that guided her all those years. The millennial artist has often described her mother as one of the kindest people she knows.
She also admires her mother’s giving nature in addition to her ability to make an impact on people. The Coachella performer, however, has also admitted that she has dealt with people making her uncomfortable for being too black or too Filipino.
Agnes Wilson Other Facts
Agnes in the past briefly suggested her now rockstar daughter, H.E.R be a nurse and even go to college. The BET Awards winner admits it was what she was about to do but then later changed her decision.
