Jackie wilsons biography

Known as “Mr. Excitement,” Jackie Wilson was an R&B and soul singer who was born in Detroit, Michigan on June 9, 1934. With his debonair good looks, four-octave vocal range and sensual dance moves he was an early success in making the transition from R&B to pop. Both Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson were influenced by him.

Wilson grew up in Detroit’s North End, and Highland Park. In his teens he formed the Every Ready Gospel Singers Group, performing in local churches. Truancy issues led him to drop out of school in the ninth grade, and a knack for finding trouble sent him twice to the Lansing Correctional Institute, where he learned how to box, and subsequently was a Golden Gloves boxer.

Forced by his mother to end his boxing career Wilson returned to music, singing with the Thrillers, who became the Royals, then Billy Ward and the Dominoes before going solo. In 1957 he signed with Decca subsidiary Brunswick Records. Boxing companion Berry Gordy, Jr. and cousin Roquel “Billy” Davis co-wrote some of Wilson’s hits, such as “Reet Petite,” “To Be Loved,” “I’ll Be Satisfied” and “That’s Why.” Wilson’s chart-topper was “Lonely Teardrops,” co-written by Berry Gordy, Davis and Gordy’s sister Gwen, which sold over a million copies. “Baby Workout,” and “Higher and Higher” were other hits that went from number one on the R&B chart to the top ten pop chart.

A frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and Shindig, Wilson’s performances could be electrifying, with his deft footwork (courtesy of his boxing training), knee drops, and splits. He would casually remove his suit jacket, slinging it over his shoulder as he crooned, which, along with his pompadoured good looks, added to his aura of suave sophistication.

Wilson married his pregnant, high school sweetheart, Freda Hood when he was 17. They had four children and divorced in 1965. His extra-marital affairs with Harlean Harris, whom he married i

A tenor with a four-octave vocal range, Jackie Wilson was one of the most talented and dynamic R&B singers of the 1950s and 1960s. Nicknamed “Mr. Excitement,” Wilson was a charismatic, masterful performer who consistently released hits.

Jackie Leroy Wilson was born on June 9, 1934 in Detroit, Michigan, the third child of parents Jack Leroy Wilson, Sr. and Eliza Mae Wilson. Young Wilson had a troubled childhood. He began drinking at age nine, joined a gang, and dropped out of school at 16, before being sent to Lansing (Michigan) Juvenile Detention twice. After a short stint as an amateur boxing champion, at 19 he began singing with Billy Ward’s Dominoes in 1953. He gave them two singles before leaving to pursue a solo career in 1957.

Wilson signed with Brunswick records, with Nat Tarnapool as his manager. Tarnapool put Wilson together with songwriters Berry Gordy, Jr.

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 and Billy Davis, who wrote his first solo hit, “Reet Petite,” in 1957 followed by hits in Pop and R&B, “To Be Loved,” “That’s Why,” and “I’ll Be Satisfied,” (between 1958 and 1959) and the classic “Lonely Teardrops” (also in 1958). Unfortunately for Wilson, Gordy and Davis soon left due to disagreements with Tarnapool, and he spent much of 1957-1966 with producer Dick Jacobs, who frequently combined him with large orchestral arrangements.

By the early 1960s Wilson’s career stalled due mainly to the bland pop and classical material Jacobs arranged for him. This being said, Wilson’s vocal talent managed to make even bland songs interesting.  Between 1960 and 1961 he released “Night,” a smash pop hit, as well as “Doggin’ Around,” and “A Woman, A Lover, a Friend,” which were R&B hits.

On February 15, 1961, Wilson was shot twice. He nearly died and did lose a kidney, but following surgery and weeks of medical care, he was discharged. Other than “Baby Workout,” a crossover smash hit released in 1963, the next three years were comparatively slow for Wilson

(1934-1984)

Who Was Jackie Wilson?

Jackie Wilson was a dynamic soul performer during the 1950s and '60s who successfully crossed over from the rhythm-and-blues charts to pop music, paving the way for a generation of African American performers. Wilson first gained fame with the group Billy Ward and his Dominoes, which he joined in 1953. He became a solo act in 1957. His first major hit, "Lonely Teardrops," was released in 1958. More successful songs soon followed, including "Night" in 1960, "Baby Workout" in 1963 and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" in 1967. Wilson collapsed on stage in 1975 and spent remainder of his life in a coma. He died in New Jersey in 1984, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Early Career

Born Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. on June 9, 1934, in Detroit, Michigan, Jackie Wilson was one of top singers of the 1950s and '60s. Known for his appealing tenor voice and tremendous stage presence, Wilson was also known by the moniker "Mr. Excitement" for his ability to wow audiences.

Wilson started out singing gospel music. As a teenager, he was also a successful Golden Gloves boxer. Wilson's mother reportedly asked him to stop boxing, so he picked a different direction for himself. In 1953, Wilson made music his career, joining Billy Ward and his Dominoes (also known as Billy Ward and the Dominoes) as the group's lead singer; he was brought in to replace Clyde McPhatter.

Top R&B and Pop Singer

In 1957, Wilson released his first solo single, "Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Want to Meet)." He made it onto the pop charts the following year with "To Be Loved." In December 1958, Wilson scored his first No. 1 R&B hit with "Lonely Teardrops"; this upbeat song of heartbreak was also a Top 10 hit on the pop charts.

Continuing to ride a wave of success, Wilson went on to make the charts over and over again with

American singer (1934–1984)

For the British author, see Jacqueline Wilson. For the American boxer, see Jackie Wilson (boxer).

For other people named Jack Wilson, see Jack Wilson (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984), also known as Jackie Wilson, 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 soul, R&B, and rock and roll history.

Born in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park, Michigan, Wilson gained initial fame as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes. He went solo in 1957 and scored over 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 in 1984.

Wilson was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He is 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 in 2003. In 2004, Rolling Stone 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 him one of the 50 Great Voices.

Life and career

Early years

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 W