Jackie Wilson | |
|---|---|
Jackie Wilson in 1961 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr. |
| Also known as | Mr. Excitement, The Black Elvis |
| Born | June 9, 1934 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Died | January 21, 1984 (aged 49) Mount Holly, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1953–75 |
| Labels | DeeGee Records King Records Federal Records Brunswick Records |
| Website | Official site |
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. He was called "Mr. Excitement". Wilson helped to change rhythm and blues into soul. He was a master showman, and a dynamic singer. He was a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes. On his own, beginning in 1957, he recorded over 50 hit singles. These songs included R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. During a 1975 benefit concert, he collapsed on-stage from a heart attack. Then he fell into a coma. The coma lasted nearly nine years until his death in 1984. By then, he had become one of the most influential artists of his generation.
A two-time Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee, Jackie Wilson was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jackie Wilson #68 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All TimeArchived 2012-02-29 at the Wayback Machine. At the 1984 Grammy Awards Michael Jackson dedicated his Album of the Year Grammy for Thriller to Wilson. After this Tarnapol released the first Wilson album in nearly nine years.
For a detailed listing of singles and albums, see Jackie Wilson discography.
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | US R&B | UK Singles Chart | ||
| 1957 | "Reet Petite" | 62 | - | 6 |
| "To Be Loved" | 22 | 7 | 23 | |
| 1958 | "Lonely Teardrops" | 7 | 1 | - |
| 1959 | "That's Why (I Love You So)" | 13 | 2 | - |
| "I'll Be Satisfied" | 20 | 6 | - | |
| "You Better Know It" | 37 | 1 | - | |
| "Talk That Talk" | 34 | 3 | - | |
| 1960 | "A Woman, a Lover, a Friend" | 15 | 1 | - |
| "Night" | 4 | - | - | |
| "Alone at Last" | 8 | - | 50 | |
| "Doggin' Around" | 15 | 1 | - | |
| "Am I the Man" | - | 10 | - | |
| "(You Were Made For) All My Love" | - | - | 33 | |
| 1961 | "My Empty Arms" | 9 | - | - |
| "The Tear of the Year" | - | 10 | - | |
| "I'm Comin' on Back to You" | 19 | 9 | - | |
| 1963 | "Baby Workout" | 5 | 1 | - |
| 1966 | "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" | 11 | 5 | - |
| 1967 | "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" | 6 | 1 | - |
| 1969 | "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (UK re-release) |
- | - | 11 |
| 1970 | "(I Can Feel These Vibrations) This Love is For Real" | - | 9 | - |
| 1972 | "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" (UK re-release) |
- | - | 9 |
| 1975 | "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" / "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (UK re-release) |
- | - | 25 |
| 1986 | "Reet Petite" (UK re-release) |
- | - | 1 |
| 1987 | "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" (UK re-release) |
- | - | 3 |
| "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (UK second re-release) |
- | - | 15 | |
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop | US R&B | |||
| 1963 | Baby Workout | 36 | * | |
| Merry Christmas from Jackie Wilson | 6 | * | ||
| 1966 | Whispers | - | 15 | |
| 1967 | Higher and Higher | - | 28 | |
| 1968 | Manufacturers of Soul | - | 18 | |