Michael Wilton

After high school, Wilton attended the Cornish Institute of Allied Arts in Seattle (now known as Cornish College of the Arts). After studying for 1–5 years, he ran out of money, but by this time, he had met bass guitarist Eddie Jackson and drummer Scott Rockenfield. In 1980, Michael Wilton and Rockenfield had founded a band called Cross+Fire, which Chris DeGarmo and Jackson joined shortly thereafter. The quartet called themselves The Mob In 1982, Geoff Tate was involved as vocalist to record a four-song demo. The band changed its name to Queensrÿche, and the demo was released in 1983 as the eponymous EP Queensrÿche. Wilton remains a guitarist in Queensrÿche to date.

After DeGarmo left Queensrÿche in 1998, Wilton gradually began performing most of the songs that previously featured DeGarmo doing the main solo live, including "Silent Lucidity", "The Mission", "En Force", "I Am I", "Take Hold of the Flame", "Best I Can", "The Killing Words", "Bridge", "The Lady Wore Black" and "Anybody Listening?", amongst others. After the band's 2009 American Soldier tour, Wilton took over all of the solos.

Soulbender

In 2002, Wilton started a side-band with former Alice N' Chains guitarist and My Sister's Machine vocalist Nick Pollock, called Soulbender. They released one album in 2004 on Licking Lava Records, following which they played various shows around the Northwest. Soulbender subsequently went on an extensive hiatus. A new album, Soulbender 2, was announced to be released in 2014, with plans to tour in 2015.

Wratchet Head

In 2010, Wilton released the single "Coming for You" with his hard rock project Wratchet Head, which was intended for those Queensrÿche fans, "whose ears have longed to once again be filled with the classic, melodic and sometimes haunting sounds of 'the earlier years'". In 2012, he continued making music with Wratchet Head.