Carnie Wilson is the daughter of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and of his first wife, former singer Marilyn Rovell of The Honeys. She co-founded Wilson Phillips with her younger sister Wendy and childhood friend Chynna Phillips when they were in their teens. They released two albums, Wilson Phillips and Shadows and Light, which between them sold 12 million copies. The group also charted three No. 1 singles and six top 20 hits in the United States before disbanding in 1993.

On January 28, 2016, it was announced that she is going to be a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice.
In July 2016, Wilson Phillips reunited and performed on ABC's Greatest Hits.