JACKIE WILSON

Jackie Wilson (born Jack Leroy Wilson Jr.) was a legendary black African American rock 'n' roll (rock and roll) soul pop R&B singer from the 1950s to the 1960s. He had an extremely troubled childhood in Detroit, Michigan. He had an alcoholic father, and he joined a gang and dropped out of high school at 15. He was sent to a reform school, where he learned to box, and his mother made him quit, and he got his girlfriend pregnant and was a father at age 17. He had sung in church as a boy, and a talent agent discovered him and signed him to a singing group, and after being in a few different groups, he auditioned to join The Dominoes, to replace Clyde McPhatter, who had left to form The Drifters. At this point, he became Jackie Wilson, and he was the lead singer for three years, and then Wilson started his solo career, and he had a giant hit with "He's So Fine" written by a young Berry Gordy. Thanks to his dynamic dance moves and fashion sense, he was nicknamed Mr. Excitement. He was a major inspiration for other top black singers who came after him, and also Elvis Presley. Sometimes people called Wilson "The Black Elvis", but when Elvis was asked about that, he said "I guess that makes me The White Jackie Wilson". Early in 1961, Wilson was shot and wounded by a girlfriend, and he had to have a kidney removed! That same year, he recorded a tribute album to Al Jolson, who he idolized (and he had converted to Judaism the year before), but the album was a commercial failure. He had other problems with the law, including being arrested on a morals charge, when he and his drummer were arrested for entertaining two white women in their motel room. He had problems with taxes, and his lavish style kept him broke despite him being one of the highest earning musicians. He continued recording music, but in 1975, when he was performing, he suffered a massive heart attack, and he was resuscitated, and he lived for years but never recovered at all, and Elvis paid most of his medical bills, and Wilson passed away in 1984 at the age of 49. He did not have a long life, but he had a massive influence on rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll!