- Born
- 9 June 1934, Detroit, Michigan, United States
- First work
- 1957: Reet Petite
- Peak
- 1958 to 1968 (estimated)
- Last work
- 1976: Nobody but You
- Died
- 21 January 1984, Mount Holly, United States; aged 49; illness
Jackie Wilson
Music: singer, United States
Jackie Wilson was an American singer and master showman whose dynamic four-octave vocal range and electrifying stage presence earned him the moniker Mr. Excitement. Emerging as lead vocalist for Billy Ward and His Dominoes, he launched a triumphant solo career in the late 1950s with hits such as Reet Petite and Lonely Teardrops, helping bridge rhythm and blues with modern soul. Wilson maintained major chart success through the 1960s with enduring classics like Baby Workout and (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher. While performing onstage in 1975, he suffered a debilitating heart attack that left him hospitalised until his death in Mount Holly, New Jersey, in 1984.
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Signature works
- Reet Petite song1957
- Lonely Teardrops song1958
- Night song1960
- Baby Workout song1963
- (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher song1967
- I Get the Sweetest Feeling song1968
Honours
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 1987
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2019
Groups: Billy Ward and His Dominoes.