Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr.(June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition ofrhythm and bluesintosoul. He was considered a master showman, one of the most dynamic and influential singers and performers in R&B and rock history.Gaining fame in his early years as a member of theR&Bvocal groupBilly Ward and His Dominoes, he went solo in 1957 and recorded over 50 hit singles that spannedR&B,pop,soul,doo-wopandeasy listening. During a 1975 benefit concert, he collapsed on-stage from a heart attack and subsequently fell into acomathat persisted for nearly nine years until his death in 1984, aged 49. By this time, he had become one of the most influential artists of his generation.
A two-timeGrammy Hall of FameInductee, Jackie Wilson was inducted to theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1987.In 2004,Rolling Stonemagazine ranked Jackie Wilson #69 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Early years and career
Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr. was born on June 9, 1934 inDetroit,Michigan, the only son of Jack Sr. and Eliza Mae Wilson, as she lost 2 previous children. Eliza Mae was born on The Billups-Whitfield Place inColumbus, Mississippi. Her parents were Tom and Virginia Ransom. Jackie often visited his family in Columbus and was greatly influenced by the choir at Billups Chapel. Growing up in the rough Detroit area ofHighland Park, Wilson joined a gang called the Shakers (the name taken from the Shaker Heights section of Detroit[sup]disputed(for: geographical accuracy) –discuss[/sup]) and often found himself in trouble. Wilson's father was frequently absent, as he was alcoholic and usually out of work. Wilson began singing at an early age, accompanying his mother, once a choir singer, to church. In his early teens Jackie joined a quartet, the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, which became a popular feature of churches in the area. Jackie wasn't very religious, he just loved to sing and the cash he and his group earned came in handy for the cheap wine which he drank since the age of nine.Jack Sr. and Eliza separated shortly after Jackie turned nine.
Wilson dropped out of high school at age 15, having already been sentenced to detention in the Lansing Corrections system for juveniles twice. During his second stint in detention, he learnedboxingand started performing in the amateur circuit in the Detroit area at the age of 16. His record in the Golden Gloves was 2 and 8. After his mother pleaded with him to quit, Wilson got married to Freda Hood and became a father at 17. It is rumored that he fathered at least 10 other children and was forced to marry Hood by her father. He gave up boxing for music, first working at Lee's Sensation club as a solo singer,then forming a group called the Falcons (not to be confused with The FalconsWilson Pickettwas part of), that included cousinLevi Stubbs, who later went on to lead theFour Tops(two more of Wilson's cousins, Hubert Johnson and Levi's brother Joe, later became members ofThe Contours). The other members joinedHank Ballardas part ofThe Midnighters.
Jackie Wilson was soon discovered by talent agentJohnny Otis, who assigned him to join a group called the Thrillers. That group would later be known asThe 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 withKing Records).LaVern Baker,Little Willie John,Johnnie RayandDella Reesewere acts managed by Al Green, owner of two music publishing companies, Pearl Music and Merrimac Music, and Detroit's Flame Show Bar where Wilson met Baker (not to be confused with R&B singer Al Green, nor Al Green of the now defunctNational Records). After recording his first version of "Danny Boy" and a few other tracks onDizzy Gillespie'srecord label Dee Gee Records under the name Sonny Wilson (his nickname), Wilson was eventually hired by Billy Ward in 1953 to join a group Ward formed in 1950 calledThe Dominoes, after a successful audition to replace the immensely popularClyde McPhatter, who had left and formed his own group,The Drifters. Wilson almost blew his chance that day, showing up calling himself "Shit" Wilson and bragging about being a better singer than McPhatter.
Ward felt a stage name would fit The Dominoes' image, henceJackieWilson. Prior to leaving The Dominoes, McPhatter coached Wilson on the sound Billy Ward wanted for his group, influencing Wilson's singing style and stage presence. "I learned a lot from Clyde, that high-pitched choke he used and other things...Clyde McPhatter was my man. Clyde and Billy Ward."Forties blues singerRoy Brownwas also an influence on him, and Wilson grew up listening toThe Mills Brothers,The Ink Spots,Louis JordanandAl Jolson.
Wilson was the group's lead singer for three years, but the Dominoes lost some of their stride with the departure of McPhatter. They were able to make appearances riding on the strength of the group's earlier hits, until 1956 when the Dominoes recorded Wilson with an unlikely interpretation of the pop hit, "St. Therese of the Roses", giving The Dominoes another brief moment in the spotlight again. (Their only other post-McPhatter/Wilson successes were "Stardust", released July 15, 1957, and "Deep Purple", released Oct. 7, 1957).In 1957 Wilson set out to begin a solo career, leaving the Dominoes and collaborating with cousin Levi and got work at Detroit's Flame Show Bar owned by Al Green. Green worked out a deal withDecca Records, and Wilson was signed to their subsidiary label,Brunswick.
Solo stardom
Shortly after Wilson signed a solo contract with Brunswick, Al Green suddenly died. Green's business partner,Nat Tarnopol, took over as Wilson's manager (and later rose to president of Brunswick). Wilson's first single was released, "Reet Petite" from the albumHe's So Fine, which became a modest R&B success (and many years later, a huge international smash). The song was written by another former boxer,Berry Gordy, Jr., who co-wrote it with partnerRoquel "Billy" Davis(who also went by the pseudonym Tyran Carlo) and Gordy's sisterGwendolyn. The trio composed and produced six further singles for Wilson, which included "To Be Loved", "I'm Wanderin'", "We Have Love", "That's Why (I Love You So)", "I'll Be Satisfied" and his late-1958 signature song, "Lonely Teardrops", which peaked at No. 7 on the pop charts, No. 1 on the R&B charts, and established him as an R&B superstar known for his extraordinary, operatic multi-octave vocal range.
Due to his fervor when performing, with his dynamic dance moves, singing and impeccable dress, he was soon christened "Mr. Excitement", a title he would keep for the remainder of his career. His stagecraft in his live shows inspiredJames Brown,Michael JacksonandElvis Presley, among a host of other artists. Presley was so impressed by Wilson that he made it a point to meet him, and the two instantly became good friends. Presley once dubbed Jackie "The Black Elvis".
Wilson's powerful, electrifying live performances rarely failed to bring audiences to a state of frenzy.His live performances consisted of knee-drops, splits, spins,back-flips, one-footed across-the-floor slides, a lot of basic boxing steps (advance and retreat shuffling)and one of his favorite routines, getting some of the less attractive girls in the audience to come up and kiss him. "If I kiss the ugliest girl in the audience, they'll all think they can have me and keep coming back and buying my records." Having women come up to kiss is one reason Wilson kept bottles of mouthwash in his dressing room. Another reason was probably his attempt to hide the alcohol on his breath. Wilson also said he was influenced by Presley too, saying "A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis."
In 1958, Davis and Gordy left Wilson and Brunswick after royalty disputes escalated between them and Nat Tarnopol. Davis soon became a successful staffsongwriterand producer forChess Records, while Gordy borrowed $800 from his family and used money he earned from royalties writing for Wilson to start his own recording studio,Hitsville USA, the foundation ofMotown Recordsin his native Detroit. Meanwhile, convinced that Wilson could venture out of R&B androck and roll, Tarnopol had the singer recordoperaticballads and easy listening material, pairing him with Decca Records' veteran arranger Dick Jacobs.
Wilson scored hits as he entered the 1960s with the No. 15 "Doggin' Around", the No. 1 pop ballad "Night", and "Baby Workout", another Top 10 hit (No. 5), which he composed withMidnightersmember Alonzo Tucker. His songwriting alliance with Tucker also turned out other songs, including "No Pity (In The Naked City)" and "I'm So Lonely." Top 10 hits continued with "Alone At Last" (No. 8 in 1960) and "My Empty Arms" (No. 9 in 1961).
Also in 1961, Wilson recorded a tribute album toAl Jolson,Nowstalgia...You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet, which included the only album liner notes he ever wrote: "...to the greatest entertainer of this or any other era...I guess I have just about every recording he's ever made, and I rarely missed listening to him on the radio...During the three years I've been making records, I've had the ambition to do an album of songs, which, to me, represent the great Jolson heritage...This is simply my humble tribute to the one man I admire most in this business...to keep the heritage of Jolson alive."The album was a commercial failure.
Following the success of "Baby Workout", Wilson experienced a lull in his career between 1964 and 1966 as Tarnopol and Brunswick Records released a succession of unsuccessful albums and singles. Despite the lack of sales success, he still made artistic gains as he recorded an album withCount Basie, as well as a series of duets withrhythm and blueslegend Lavern Baker andgospelsinger Linda Hopkins.
In 1966, he scored the first of two big comeback singles with establishedChicago soulproducerCarl Daviswith "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher", a No. 6 Pop smash in 1967, which became one of his final pop hits. This was followed by "I Get the Sweetest Feeling", which, despite its modest initial chart success in the US (Billboard Pop #34), has since become one of his biggest international chart successes, becoming a Top 10 hit in the UK twice, in 1972 and in 1987, and a Top 20 hit in theDutch Top 40, and has spawned numerous cover versions by other artists such asEdwin Starr,Will Young,Erma Franklin(Aretha's sister) andLiz McClarnon.
A key to his musical rebirth was that Davis insisted that Wilson no longer record with Brunswick's musicians in New York; instead, he would record with legendary Detroit musicians normally employed byMotown Recordsand also Davis' own Chicago-based session players. The Detroit musicians, known asThe Funk Brothers, participated on Wilson's recordings due to their respect for Davis and Wilson.
By 1975, Wilson andThe Chi-Liteswere Brunswick's only significant artists left on the aging label's roster. Until then, Wilson continued to record singles that found success on the R&B chart, but found no significant pop chart success. His final hit, "You Got Me Walkin' ", written by Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites, was released in 1972 with the Chi-Lites backing him on vocals and instruments.
Death
On September 29, 1975, Wilson was one of the featured acts inDick Clark'sGood Ol' Rock and Roll Revue, hosted by the Latin Casino nearCherry Hill, New Jersey. He was in the middle of singing "Lonely Teardrops" when he suffered a heart attack, during the middle of the line: "My heart is crying." When he collapsed on stage, audience members initially thought it was part of the act. Dick Clark, when he saw it, ordered the musicians to stop the music. Cornell Gunter ofThe Coasters, who was backstage, noticed Wilson was not breathing. Gunter was able to resuscitate him and Wilson was then rushed to a nearby hospital.
Medical personnel worked nearly 30 minutes to stabilize his vitals, but the lack ofoxygento hisbraincaused him to slip into acoma. He briefly emerged in early 1976, and was even able to take a few wobbly stepsbut slipped back into a semi-comatose state. He was a resident of the Medford Leas Retirement Center in Mount Holly, NJ when he was admitted into Memorial Hospital of Burlington County, NJ due to having trouble taking nourishment, according to Wilson's attorney John Mulkerin.
Jackie Wilson died on January 21, 1984, at the age of 49 from complications of pneumonia. Initially, he was buried in an unmarked grave at Westlawn Cemetery near Detroit. In 1987, a fundraiser collected enough money to purchase a headstone.
Tributes and legacy
In 1985, the soul/funk bandthe Commodoresrecorded "Nightshift" in memory of Wilson and soul singerMarvin Gaye, who had both died in 1984. Reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 3 pop in the US, and topping theDutchsingles chart, it was the group's biggest post-Lionel Richiehit.
Van Morrisonalso recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 albumSaint Dominic's Preview. This song was later covered byDexy's Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV showTop of the Pops, a picture ofdartsplayerJocky Wilsonwas used instead. This has often been speculated to be a mistake but Dexy's frontmanKevin Rowlandstated that it was a deliberate joke by the band.
Michael Jacksonhonored Jackie Wilson at the 1984Grammy Awards. Jackson dedicated his Album of the Year Grammy forThrillerto 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."
Until Jackson's comments, Wilson's recording legacy had been dormant for almost a decade. Tarnopol owned Wilson's recordings due to Brunswick's separation fromMCA, but the label had essentially closed down, essentially deleting Wilson's considerable recorded legacy. But when Jackson praised Wilson at the Grammys, interest in the legendary singer stirred, and Tarnopol released the first Wilson album (a two-record compilation) in almost nine years throughEpic Records, Jackson's label at the time. Through Tarnopol's son, Wilson's music has become more available.
In theVH-15-part television special,Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America, fellow Rock and Roll Hall of FamersSmokey RobinsonandBobby Womackboth paid tribute to Jackie. Smokey explained that "Jackie Wilson wasthemost dynamic singer and performer that I think I'veeverseen. Bobby added "He was therealElvis Presley, as far as I'm concerned...and Elvis took a lot from him too."
In his autobiographyTo Be Loved(named for one of the hit tunes he wrote for Jackie) Motown founderBerry Gordystated that Jackie Wilson was "The greatest singer I've ever heard. The epitome of natural greatness. Unfortunately for some, he set the standard I'd be looking for in singers forever".(Reference,To Be Lovedby Berry Gordy,1994, pg 88.)
Jackie Wilson is mentioned in the song "Gone But Not Forgotten" sung by artistTQ, which is a song dedicated to the memory of famous musicians who have died. The lyric goes "..and Jackie, will you teach me how to glide across the stage?"
Wilson is mentioned in the rap song "Thugz Mansion" byTupac Shakur. The 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 theUnited Kingdom,Irelandand theNetherlandsin 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.15).
Rita Coolidgecovered "Higher and Higher" in 1977; her version reached No. 2 on the US pop charts, earning a gold record.
In 1999, Wilson's original version of "Higher and Higher" and "Lonely Teardrops" were inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame,and both are onRolling Stonemagazine's list of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Wilson was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1987; that same year, he was portrayed in theRitchie ValensbiopicLa BambabyHoward Huntsberry.
Wilson is referenced in the 1986 song "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." byJohn Mellencamp.
Wilson and 'Lonely Teardrops' are referenced in the 1993 song 'Jupiter and Teardrop' byGrant Lee Buffaloon their debut album 'Fuzzy.'
In 1988, his version of "To Be Loved" was featured in the filmComing to America, when Akeem and Lisa were falling in love. Akeem (Eddie Murphy) later came back home singing the song loudly (and poorly), waking up and infuriating his neighbors.
In 1989, "Higher and Higher" was featured heavily in the comedy filmGhostbusters II,thesoundtrack albumof which featured acover versionof the song by Howard Huntsberry.
In 1992, Wilson was portrayed in theABCminiseries by Grady Harrell inThe Jacksons: An American Dream.
Also in 1994,Peter Torkrecorded a bluegrass-rock cover of "Higher and Higher" on his first solo albumStranger Things Have Happened.
In 2007, Wilson's music was featured in afilm adaptationofIrvine Welsh's bookEcstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.
In September 2010, Wilson's hit song, That's Why (I Love You So), appeared onDick Clark's Rock, Roll and Remember.
On November 18, 2011 theBlack Ensemble TheaterofChicago, produced a musical about Jackie Wilson's life that closed March 18, 2012
