#236 - Jackie Wilson - Mr. Excitement! (1992)
MUSIC HISTORY COMPILED BY ADAM BERNARD:
BACKGROUND – THE WHO
Jack Leroy “Jackie” Wilson Jr. was born in 1934, in Detroit, Michigan and died at the age of 49 in 1984 in New Jersey. He was an American soul singer-songwriter and performer that was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Due to Wilson's fervor when performing, with his dynamic dance moves, impassioned singing and fashion sense, he was nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", a moniker that remained throughout his career. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes, he went solo in 1957.
As the third and only surviving child of singer Jack Leroy Wilson, Sr. and Eliza Mae Wilson. Wilson often visited his family in Columbus and was greatly influenced by the choir at Billups Chapel there. Growing up in the suburban Detroit enclave of Highland Park, Wilson joined a gang called the Shakers and often got himself in trouble. Wilson's alcoholic father was frequently absent and usually unemployed. In 1943, his parents separated shortly after Jackie's ninth birthday. Jackie Wilson began singing as a youth, accompanying his mother, an experienced church choir singer. In his early teens he joined a quartet, 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.
Wilson dropped out of high school at age 15, having been sentenced twice to detention in the Lansing Corrections system for juveniles. During his second stint in detention, Wilson learned to box and began competing in the Detroit amateur circuit at age 16.. After his mother forced Jackie to quit boxing, Wilson was forced to marry Freda Hood by her father after getting her pregnant, and he became a father at age 17. (He would go on to father many children, both in and out of wedlock)
He began working at Lee's Sensation Club as a solo singer, then formed a group called the Falcons that included cousin Levi Stubbs, who later led the Four Tops. Wilson was discovered by talent agent Johnny Otis, who recruited him for a group called the Thrillers. That group evolved into the Royals. Wilson signed on with manager Al Green (not to be confused with R&B singer Al Gree. Green, who also managed Della Reese, owned two music publishing companies, Pearl Music and Merrimac Music, and Detroit's Flame Show Bar, where Wilson met Baker. After Wilson recorded his first version of "Danny Boy" and a few other tracks on Dizzy Gillespie's record label under the name Sonny Wilson (his nickname), Wilson eventually was hired by Billy Ward in 1953 and replaced the immensely popular Clyde McPhatter, who left the Dominoes and formed the Drifters. Wilson almost blew his chance that day, showing up calling himself "The shit", and and bragged about being a better singer than McPhatter. Billy Ward felt a stage name would better fit the Dominoes' image, hence Jackie Wilson. Before leaving the Dominoes, McPhatter coached Wilson on the sound Billy Ward wanted for his group, influencing Wilson's singing style and stage presence. "I learned a lot from Clyde, that high-pitched choke he used and other things...Clyde McPhatter was my man. Clyde and Billy Ward."
Wilson was the group's lead singer for three years, but the Dominoes lost some of their stride with the departure of McPhatter. They made appearances riding on the strength of the group's earlier hits, until 1956 when the Dominoes recorded Wilson with an interpretation of the pop hit "St. Therese of the Roses", giving the Dominoes another brief moment in the spotlight. In 1957 Wilson began a solo career, left the Dominoes, collaborated with his cousin Levi, and secured performances at Detroit's Flame Show Bar. Later, Al Green secured a deal with Decca Records, and Wilson was signed to its subsidiary label, Brunswick. Wilson 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. Unfortunately, his career came to a screeching halt in 1975, when he suffered a heart attack during a performance, which left him in a minimally conscious state until his death in 1984.
Wilson was a regular on TV, making regular appearances on such shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand, and Hullabaloo. His only movie appearance was in the rock and roll film Go, Johnny, Go!, where he performed his 1959 hit song "You Better Know It"
In September 1975, Wilson was one of the featured acts in Dick Clark's Good Ol' Rock and Roll Revue. He was in the middle of singing "Lonely Teardrops" when he suffered a massive heart attack. On the words "My heart is crying" he collapsed on stage; audience members applauded as they initially thought it was part of the act. Clark sensed something was wrong, then ordered the musicians to stop the music. Cornell Gunter of the Coasters, who was backstage, noticed Wilson was not breathing. Gunter was able to resuscitate him and Wilson was then rushed to a nearby hospital. Wilson liked to sweat profusely during his performances, saying once to Elvis Presley, "The chicks love it." To induce the effect, he would take a handful of salt tablets and drink a large amount of water before going onstage. High salt consumption is known to be a risk factor for heart disease. Medical personnel worked to stabilize Wilson's vital signs, but the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to slip into a coma. He briefly recovered in early 1976, and was even able to take a few wobbly steps, but slipped back into a semi-comatose state. Wilson's friend, fellow singer Bobby Womack, planned a benefit at the Hollywood Palladium to raise funds for Wilson. Jackie was deemed conscious but incapacitated in early June 1976, unable to speak but aware of his surroundings. Elvis Presley covered a large portion of Wilson’s medical bills. Wilson died on January 21, 1984, at the age of 49 from complications of pneumonia. He was initially buried in an unmarked grave at Westlawn Cemetery near Detroit, but in 1987, fans raised money in a fundraiser to purchase a mausoleum.
He recorded over 50 hit singles. A two-time Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee, Wilson was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jackie Wilson #69 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He is also inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. He was honored with the Legacy Tribute Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 2003. NPR once named him one of the 50 Great Voices, and in 2019 Wilson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1940s blues singer Roy Brown was also a major influence on him, and Wilson grew up listening to the Mills Brothers, the Ink Spots, Louis Jordan and Al Jolson.
Wilson was an inspiration to Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, James Brown, Teddy Pendergrass and Michael Jackson. Van Morrison recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 album Saint Dominic's Preview. After Wilson's death, Michael Jackson paid tribute to him at the 1984 Grammy Awards. Jackson dedicated his Album of the Year Grammy for Thrillerto Wilson, saying, "Some people are entertainers and some people are great entertainers. Some people are followers. And some people make the path and are pioneers. I'd like to say Jackie Wilson was a wonderful entertainer. He's not with us anymore, but Jackie, where you are I'd like to say, I love you and thank you so much."
ALBUM BACKGROUND – MR. EXCITEMENT!
A three-CD box set, Mr. Excitement takes Jackie Wilson's career from his first sides with Billy Ward & the Dominoes in 1956 through his final recordings in the early '70s. The former Detroit boxer hit either the R&B or pop chart over 50 times, making him one of the most successful R&B artists ever, in chart terms at least. Every one of those recordings is contained in this compilation, including such classics as "Reet Petite," "Lonely Teardrops," and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher." The album contains 72 tracks.
-Smokey Robinson once explained that "Jackie Wilson was the most dynamic singer and performer that I think I've ever seen. Bobby Womack added "He was the real Elvis Presley, as far as I'm concerned...and Elvis took a lot from him too."