Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson (born June 9, 1934 in Detroit , Michigan , † January 21, 1984 in Mount Holly , New Jersey ) was an American rhythm and blues and soul singer of the 1950s and 1960s.
Life
At a young age he received a high award for amateur boxer and wanted to continue this career, but his mother convinced him of his singing talent and finally changed his mind. After a short time with the Ready Gospel Singers, he joined the Thrillers, where he met Hank Ballard . When Wilson took part in a talent competition in 1951, Johnny Otis noticed him. As a result, he took under the direction of Billy Ward two songs as "Sonny Wilson" for the label Dee Gee Records and in 1953 replaced his role model Clyde McPhatter , who moved to the Drifters , at Billy Ward and The Dominoes. However, he did not stay with them for long. In 1956 he signed a contract with Brunswick Records . In the following years he had several hits, mostly written by Berry Gordy ; the best known was Reet Petite from 1957. Wilson also showed talent as a crooner in ballads like To Be Loved .
A little later, Wilson met Alan Freed , at whose Christmas rock 'n' roll concert he took part. He also sang the song You Better Know It in Freed's film Go Johnny Go . Wilson's live performances were reminiscent of the James Browns : he played with his voice, sang softly and softly, and then screeched again in high notes. On the album Doggin 'Around 1960, such a performance can be heard. His career began to suffer in the mid-1960s, which had a brief resurgence when he worked with Karl Davis, a noted Chicago music producer . The collaboration resulted in two hits, Whispers and Higher and Higher . Higher and Higher was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
On February 15, 1961, Wilson was seriously injured by a bullet in a New York City hotel of Juanita Jones, a former lover, in a jealous drama. When he appeared in front of his hotel room accompanied by a new lover, Sam Cooke's ex-girlfriend Harlean Harris, the gunfire put him down. Management's official version said that a jealous fan threatened to shoot himself and Wilson was shot trying to deter the alleged fan from the act. He had to stay in the hospital for six weeks. The bullet stayed in the body, but there was no longer any danger to his life. In 1965, Wilson divorced his then wife and married Harlean Harris, with whom he stayed together for life.
In the early 1970s there was another short hit wave, but it had passed its zenith. Wilson now mainly participated in oldie revival tours. During one of these appearances, with a revival band by Dick Clark , he suffered a heart attack on September 29, 1975 . As a result of his fall in this fit - he fell head first off the stage - he was in a coma until his death . He died on January 21, 1984 in Mount Holly and was buried in Detroit . In the title Nightshift , published in early 1985, The Commodores honored Wilson with the second verse of their hit. Jackie Wilson's version of Reet Petite posthumously reached the top of the UK singles chart in late 1986 and was the number one Christmas hit . In 1987 Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .
In 2008, Rolling Stone listed Wilson 69th of the 100 greatest musicians and 26th of the 100 best singers of all time . 35 years after his death, Wilson was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 4, 2019 . As a guest speaker u. a. the singer Smokey Robinson in attendance.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK
|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1962 | Jackie Wilson at the Copa | - |
US137 (2 weeks) US |
- |
First published: 1962
Producer: Nat Tarnopol |
| 1963 | Baby workout | - |
US36 (21 weeks) US |
- |
First published: July 1963
Producer: Nat Tarnopol |
| Merry Christmas from Jackie Wilson | - |
US6 (? Where) US |
- |
First published: 1963
Producer: Nat Tarnopol |
|
| 1966 | Whispers | - |
US108 (7 weeks) US |
R&B15 (10 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1966
Producer: Carl Davis |
| 1967 | Higher and higher | - |
US163 (4 weeks) US |
R&B28 (3 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1967
Producer: Carl Davis |
| 1968 | Manufacturers of Soul / Too Much (UK) | - |
US195 (3 weeks) US |
R&B18 (5 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1970 | Do your thing | - | - |
R&B50 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1969
Producers: Carl Davis, Eugene Record |
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
literature
- Irwin Stambler: The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul. Revised Edition. St. Martin's Press, New York City NY 1989, ISBN 0-312-02573-4 , pp. 742f.
Web links
- Jackie Wilson at Allmusic (English)
- Jackie Wilson at Discogs (English)
- Discography at austriancharts.at
- Biographical article about Jackie Wilson (en.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone , December 2, 2010, accessed August 8, 2017 .
- ↑ 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Rolling Stone , December 2, 2010, accessed August 8, 2017 .
- ↑ Singer Jackie Wilson posthumously honored with Hollywood star. In: stern.de . dpa , September 5, 2019, accessed on September 5, 2019 .
- ↑ Chart sources: Singles UK US
- ^ The Billboard Albums by Joel Whitburn , 6th Edition, Record Research 2006, ISBN 0-89820-166-7 .
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wilson, Jackie |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rhythm and blues and soul singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 9, 1934 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Detroit , Michigan |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 21, 1984 |
| Place of death | Mount Holly , New Jersey |