Everything about Jackie Wilson totally explained
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (
June 9,
1934 –
January 21,
1984) was an
American singer. Wilson was important in the transition of
rhythm and blues into
soul. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the
R&B vocal group,
The Dominoes, after going solo in 1957, he went on to record over fifty hit singles over a repertoire that included
R&B,
pop,
soul,
doo-wop and
easy listening before relapsing into a
coma following a collapse on stage during a 1975 benefit concert. By the time of his death in
1984, he'd become one of the most influential
soul artists of his generation.
Biography
Early years and career
Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr. was born in
Detroit, Michigan, the only son of Jack, Sr. and Eliza Mae Wilson. Growing up in the
Highland Park area of North End, Jackie, who was also called "Sonny" by friends, grew up rough, joining a gang called the Shakers and often getting in trouble. He dropped out of high school at the age of 15, and by that time had been sentenced to juvenile detention twice. After his second trip to detention, he discovered
boxing, and boxed around the Detroit area, eventually winning the
Golden Gloves division in Detroit at the age of 16. After getting married and becoming a father at 17, Wilson gave up boxing for music, forming a group that included cousin
Levi Stubbs, who later went on to lead the
Four Tops. He was soon discovered by talent agent
Johnny Otis, who assigned him to join a group called the Thrillers. That group would later be known as
The Royals (who would later evolve into R&B group,
The Midnighters), but Wilson wasn't part of the group when they changed their name and signed with
King Records. After recording a few sides with
Dizzy Gillespie's record label, he joined
The Dominoes after a successful audition to replace
Clyde McPhatter, who had left to join
The Drifters. Wilson was the group's lead singer producing the pop hit, "St. Therese of the Roses" for over a year before he began a solo career in 1957.
Solo stardom
In 1957, Wilson signed a solo contract with
Brunswick Records, a subsidiary division of
Decca, and released his first single,
Reet Petite, which became a modest R&B success. The song was written by another former boxer named
Berry Gordy, Jr., who co-wrote it with partner Roquel Davis. Soon the duo composed and produced a sizable collection of hit singles for Wilson, including "To Be Loved", "That's Why", "I'll Be Satisfied" and his late-1958 single, "Lonely Teardrops". The latter single became a Top 10 pop smash, and established him as an R&B superstar known for his extraordinary vocal range.
Due to his fervor when performing, with both dance moves and singing, he was soon christened "Mr. Excitement", a title he'd keep for the remainder of his career. His stagecraft in his live shows inspired
Michael Jackson, among others.
In 1958, Davis and Gordy left Wilson after royalty disputes escalated between them his manager, Nat Tarnopol. Davis soon became a successful staff
songwriter for
Chess Records, while Gordy used the money earned from his work with Wilson to form
Motown Records in his native Detroit. Meanwhile, convinced that Wilson could venture out of R&B and
rock and roll, Tarnopol had the singer record
operatic ballads and easy listening material. Wilson scored hits as he entered the sixties with the Top 20 "Doggin' Around", the Top 10 ballad "Night", and "Baby Workout", another Top 10 hit,(which he composed with Midnighters member Alonzo Tucker). Top 10 hits continued with "Alone At Last" and "My Empty Arms" in 1960 and 1961, respectively.
After experiencing a lull in his career between 1964 and 1967, he scored two comeback singles with
Chicago soul producer
Carl Davis with "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," a Top 10 Pop smash which became one of his final pop hits. This was followed by "
I Get the Sweetest Feeling",which, despite it's modest initial chart success in the U.S. (Billboard Pop #34), has since become one of his biggest international chart successes, becoming a Top 10 hit in England
twice, in 1972 and in 1987, and a Top 20 hit in the
Dutch Top 40 in The Netherlands, and has spawned numerous cover versions by other artists such as
Edwin Starr,
The Men's Club,
Will Young,
Erma Franklin (Aretha's sister}, and
Liz McClarnon. Between then and 1975, Wilson continued to record singles that found success on the R&B chart. His final hit, "You Got Me Walkin'", was released in 1972.
Personal life
Wilson was shot and wounded by one of his alleged lovers, Juanita Jones, on
February 15,
1961. Allegedly, Jones shot Wilson in a jealous rage when he returned to his apartment with another woman, fashion model Harlean Harris, an ex-girlfriend of
Sam Cooke. In order to protect his reputation, Wilson's management concocted a story that Jones was an obsessed fan who threatened to shoot herself, and that Wilson's intervention concluded in his being shot. The story was accepted, and no charges were brought against Jones. Freda Hood, Jackie's first wife with whom he'd four children, divorced him in 1965 after fourteen years of marriage. He married Harris in 1967, but split up soon after. Jackie later met and lived with Lynn Crochet, and they'd two children. He was with Lynn up until his heart attack and on-stage accident in 1975. However, as he and Harris never officially divorced, Harris took the role of Wilson's caretaker for the singer's remaining nine years.
Death
Wilson suffered a massive
heart attack while playing a
Dick Clark show at the
Latin Casino in
Cherry Hill,
New Jersey on
September 29,
1975, falling head-first to the stage while singing "Lonely Teardrops". The blow to the head Wilson suffered left him
comatose. For the next eight years and four months, he was in a vegetative state until his death at age 49.
Al Green, the soul singer, was one of the few artists who regularly visited the bed-ridden Wilson. .
According to the biography,
Jackie Wilson: Lonely Teardrops, he received a well-publicized funeral attended by approximately 1,500 relatives, friends and fans. He is interred in the Westlawn Cemetery in
Wayne, Michigan.
Tributes and legacy
In 1985, the soul/funk band,
The Commodores recorded "
Nightshift" in memory of Wilson and soul singer
Marvin Gaye, who both died in 1984. Reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 3 pop in the US, it was the group's biggest post-
Lionel Richie hit.
Van Morrison also recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 album
Saint Dominic's Preview. This song was later covered by
Dexys Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV show
Top of the Pops, a picture of Wilson was intended to be used in the background - but an intentional joke by the band and the production staff meant that a picture of
darts player
Jocky Wilson was used instead.]
Michael Jackson honored Jackie Wilson at the 1984
Grammy Awards. Jackson dedicated his Album of the Year Grammy for
Thriller to Wilson, saying, "In the entertainment business, there are leaders and there are followers. And I just want to say that I think Jackie Wilson was a wonderful entertainer...I love you and thank you so much."
Wilson is also mentioned in the rap song "
Thugz Mansion" by
Tupac Shakur. The exact lyric is:
» :"Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night,
:It had me shook, sippin' peppermint schnapps
» :With Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke."
Wilson scored a posthumous hit when "
Reet Petite" reached number one in the
United Kingdom in 1986. This success was likely due in part to a new animated video made for the song, featuring a clay model of Wilson, that became hugely popular on television. The following year he hit the UK charts again with "
I Get the Sweetest Feeling" (No.3), and "
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (No.11).
Rita Coolidge covered "Higher and Higher" in
1977; her version reached No. 2 on the US pop charts, earning a gold record.
Wilson was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; that same year, he was portrayed in the
Richie Valens biopic La Bamba by
Howard Huntsberry.
In 1989, "Higher and Higher" was featured heavily in the film
Ghostbusters II, the
soundtrack album of which featured a
cover version of the song by Howard Huntsberry.
In 2004,
Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #68 on their list of the
100 Greatest Artists of All Time
.
In 2007, Wilson's music will be featured in a
film adaptation of
Irvine Welsh's book .
Discography
For a detailed listing of singles and albums, see Jackie Wilson discography.
US and UK Top Ten singles
Hit albums
| Year |
Title |
Chart positions |
| US pop |
US R&B |
| 1963 |
Baby Workout |
#36 |
* |
| 1963 |
Merry Christmas from Jackie Wilson |
#6 |
* |
| 1966 |
Whispers |
- |
#15 |
| 1967 |
Higher and Higher |
- |
#28 |
| 1968 |
Manufacturers of Soul |
- |
#18 |
Further Information
Get more info on 'Jackie Wilson'.
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