Jackie Wilson

Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of the most dynamic singers and performers in the 20th century. Among Wilson's hits are "Lonely Teardrops," "Baby Workout," "Reet Petite", "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". His performance style is often cited as a significant influence on contemporary and later artists such as Elvis Presley, James Brown, and Michael Jackson.

Born in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park, Michigan, Wilson initially gained fame as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes. He went solo in 1957 and scored more than 50 chart singles spanning the genres of R&B, rock 'n' roll, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. This included 16 top-10 R&B hits, six of which ranked as number ones. On the Billboard Hot 100, Wilson scored 14 top-20 pop hits, six of which reached the top 10. In 1975, Wilson suffered a heart attack during a performance, which left him in a minimally conscious state until his death nine years later.

Wilson was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He was also inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Two of Wilson's recordings were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. He was honored with the Legacy Tribute Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation four years later. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Wilson No. 69 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and placed him on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time (2023). NPR named Wilson one of the 50 Great Voices.

Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. was born on June 9, 1934, in Highland Park, Michigan, the third and only surviving child of Eliza Mae Wilson (1900–1975) and singer Jack Leroy Wilson Sr. (1903–1983). As a child, to distinguish himself from his father, Wilson was given the name "Sonny". Eliza Mae was born on the Billups-Whitfield Place in Lowndes County, Mississippi, to Virginia and Tom Ransom. Wilson often visited his family in Columbus and was greatly influenced by the choir at Billups Chapel. Wilson's father was frequently absent and usually unemployed, and in 1943, the Wilsons separated shortly after Jackie's ninth birthday. Growing up in the suburban Detroit enclave of Highland Park, Wilson joined a gang called the Shakers and often got himself into trouble.

Wilson began singing as a youth, accompanying his mother, an experienced church-choir singer. In his early teens, Wilson joined the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, who gained popularity in local churches. Wilson was not very religious, but he enjoyed singing in public. The money the quartet earned from performing was often spent on alcohol, and Wilson began drinking at an early age.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.