User:FrostFairBlade/sandbox/Jackie Wilson

Early life
Jack Leroy Wilson was born at 5:30 AM on June 9, 1934, at the Herman Kiefer Hospital in Highland Park, Michigan. His father, Jack Wilson Sr. (1896 —January 1953 ), struggled with unemployment due to alcoholism. His mother, Eliza Mae Wilson (née Ranson; April 22, 1904—October 16, 1975 ) was a housewife. Wilson's parents had married in 1922, and had lived for a few years in Columbus, Mississippi before moving to Detroit before the Great Depression. Wilson was their sole surviving child, as two others died before he was born. The Wilson family first lived at 1533 Lyman Street in the neighborhood of North End, before moving to Kenilworth Street when he was three. By 1940, when he was six years old, Wilson's parents divorced, and his mother went on to have a common-law relationship with an auto plant worker named John Lee. He first attended Alger Elementary, before transferring to Thomson Elementary School. By 1943, Wilson and his family moved to 248 Cottage Grove Street.

From a young age, Wilson was interested in singing. Encouraged by his parents, he joined his local church choir at the age of six, and gained further vocal experience by singing on the streets. When he was twelve, he joined the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, and traveled with them to sing at other black churches throughout Detroit. Wilson went on to attend Highland Park High School. However, he was uninterested in schooling, and frequently skipped classes. He also was affiliated with a local street gang called the Shakers. Wilson's truancy caused him to be sent to the Lansing Correctional Institute twice, in an effort to straighten out his behavior.

At Lansing, Wilson took up boxing as a hobby, and started regularly training at Brewster's Gym when he was released. Dropping out of school in the ninth grade, Wilson aspired to be a boxer, much to his mother's chagrin. An oft-repeated story is that in 1950, he entered and won a local amateur Golden Gloves welterweight tournament by lying about his age, competing under the name "Sonny Wilson". By the time he was 16 and married to his teenage lover, Freda Hood, Wilson was part of a singing group with his childhood friends, Levi Stubbs, Sonny Woods, and Lawson Smith.


 * Born Jack Leroy Wilson at 5:30 AM on June 9, 1934 at the Herman Kiefer Hospital in Highland Park, Michigan (some sources cite Detroit as his birthplace)
 * Was the only child of Jack and Eliza Mae Wilson from Columbus, Mississippi (two children were lost prior to Wilson's birth)
 * The Wilsons were a well-meaning and religious working class couple who loved their son, but were strict and disciplined
 * Lived in Highland Park, where he was friends with Levi Stubbs and Little Willie John
 * He began singing in his local church at six years old under the encouragement of his parents, gained experience singing on the streets, and joined the Ever Ready Gospel Singers at age 12
 * Wilson attended Highland Park High School, but was frequently absent and involved with a local gang called the Shakers; his truancy caused him to be forced into the Lansing Correctional Institute twice
 * At Lansing, Wilson took up boxing, and made the decision to drop out of ninth grade to pursue the sport to the chagrin of his mother
 * At age 16 in 1950, he lied about his age and entered a Golden Gloves amateur welterweight tournament under the name of "Sonny";
 * Allegedly, he wins the Detroit American Amateur Golden Gloves Welterweight boxing title while still in high school,  but failed to repeat as champion, and lost the majority of his fights
 * However, in the biography Lonely Teardrops, author Tony Douglas asserts that Wilson embellished this story, and that he did not win the Golden Gloves
 * Took a job at an automotive assembly line
 * Around the time he married Freda Hood at the age of 16, Wilson was in a singing group with his friends, Levi Stubbs, Sonny Woods, and Lawson Smith

Early career and Billy Ward and the Dominoes (1951–1956)
After a short stint working at a car assembly line, Wilson spent his time singing at clubs around Detroit, participating in amateur nights and talent contests. His performance at a 1951 talent show at Paradise Theater caught the attention of talent scout Johnny Otis, who was working for King Records. Some sources state that Otis had Wilson audition for his label, writing a song especially for the artist to sing called "Every Beat of My Heart". Other sources mention that the talent scout gave Wilson the opportunity to try out for a role with a local vocal group called the Thrillers, but the group ended up signing Hank Ballard and eventually became The Midnighters. Either way, King did not sign Wilson, and the singer ended up recording both "Danny Boy" and "Rainy Day Blues" for Dee Gee Records in 1952 under his boxing name, "Sonny Wilson".

In 1953, Wilson successfully auditioned for a role with the vocal group Billy Ward and his Dominoes. Sources differ on how the singer came to get the part: Billy Ward remembers Wilson and his mother meeting him in his room at the Gotham Hotel. Other sources mention that allegedly, Wilson showed up to the interview cocky, introducing himself as "Shit Wilson". Impressed with the singer's voice and his potential, Ward invited Wilson to join his group, but only as a background vocalist for the band's tours. When lead singer Clyde McPhatter left the group later that year, Wilson replaced him on lead vocals.
 * Wilson was discovered at a talent show run by Johnny Otis in 1951 at Paradise Theater; while he didn't win, Otis had him audition for the Thrillers
 * Otis, a talent scout for King Records, had Wilson audition with the Thrillers, but they ended up signing lead singer Hank Ballard to become the Royals, then changed their name to The Midnighters
 * late 1951 - records "Danny Boy" and "Rainy Day Blues" under his boxing name "Sonny Wilson" for Dizzy Gillespie's Dee Gee Records
 * 1953 - friend informs him that Clyde McPhatter, lead singer of Billy Ward and his Dominoes, would be leaving the band
 * Allegedly, Wilson shows up to the interview by introducing himself as "Shit" Wilson
 * Billy Ward was impressed with Wilson's voice, and invited him to join the band, but only as a background vocalist for the band's tours
 * Replaced Clyde McPhatter as the lead singer of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953, when the singer left to join the US Army and later form The Drifters
 * Much of the time spent with the Dominoes was spent performing at supper clubs, upscale cabaret venues
 * Credits his time with the Dominoes for shaping his stage presence
 * Performed lead vocals on songs like "You Can't Keep a Good Man Down" and "Rags to Riches"
 * Dozens of songs with Wilson's vocals were released, but only one reached the R&B charts: "Rags to Riches" hit number three in late 1953
 * Billy Ward and the Dominoes leave the King/Federal label, record briefly for Jubilee, then are signed to Decca Records
 * Wilson first reached the top national Top 30 on the Dominoes' recording of "St. Therese of the Roses" in 1956, which reached #13 and remained on the charts for 6 weeks

Solo success (1957–1963)

 * Late 1957 - Wilson quits his position with Billy Ward and his Dominoes to go solo
 * A 1959 Jackson Advocate article reports that Wilson's departure was over a pay dispute, which infuriated Ward and soured their relationship
 * Returned to the Detroit music scene
 * Was discovered at the Flame Show Lounge by Al Green, who owned the hat-check concession at the lounge and managed the careers of LaVern Baker and Johnnie Ray
 * Green was introduced to Wilson via Wilson's cousin, Billy Davis, who had recently begun writing songs with Berry Gordy
 * Green also owned a music publishing company called Pearl Music
 * Green became Wilson's manager and got him signed to Brunswick Records in May 1957, Johnnie Ray a subsidiary of Decca Records
 * This was supposed to be part of a deal that would also bring LaVern Baker to the label, but Baker was still contracted to Atlantic Records when Green died in December 1957 Dee Gee Records
 * Green paired Wilson with a Detroit songwriting pair, Berry Gordy and Billy Davis, who helped write many of Wilson's most popular songs
 * Gordy, a former featherweight boxer himself, knew Wilson from the 1940s boxing circuit
 * Gordy's siblings (Gwen, Anna, Robert, George) ran the photo concession at the Flame Show Bar; Green had introduced him to Billy Davis
 * A September 7, 1957 Cash Box article reports that Jackie Wilson signed an exclusive contract with Brunswick Records, with his first releases being "Reet Petite" and "By the Light of the Silvery Moon"
 * "Reet Petite", a Gordy and Davis-penned song recorded at the Pythian Temple recording studio in New York City, was Wilson's first hit
 * "Reet Petite" peaks at US #62 in November 1957, and UK #6 in January 1958
 * October 4, 1957 - Wilson makes an appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, becoming one of the first black singers to be featured by Clark
 * "To Be Loved" - 1958 Gordy ballad - big hit
 * Wilson's first album, He's So Fine, is released in October 1958
 * He's So Fine peaks at #7 on the R&B charts
 * "Lonely Teardrops", released in 1958, reached #1 on the R&B charts and was his first Top 10 entry on the pop charts (#7 on Billboard Hot 100) - this is Wilson's first gold disc
 * Written by Gordy and Davis; arranged by Dick Jacobs
 * Jacobs used eight background singers, rhythm section, extra guitar, extra percussion; originally there were four trombones, but Jacobs dismissed the trombone players after not liking their sound during the recording session
 * Jacobs also used an electronic organ as a percussion instrument, playing tom-tom effects rather than melody or chords
 * According to records taken from Michel Ruppli's The Decca Labels: A Discography listed at the Discography of American Historical Recordings, it was recorded in October 1958; guitar played by Dave Hamilton
 * Sold over a million copies
 * "a Latin-based groove with square backing vocals and mildly suggestive lyrics"; Wilson's voice "combines learned head voice with melismatic runs emblematic of African American performance traditions, all while creating a sense of urgency because of the vocal line's high range"
 * In December 1958, Wilson took a ten-day residency in "Alan Freed's Christmas Rock 'n' Roll Spectacular" at Loew's State Theater in Manhattan, appearing alongside acts like Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and the Everly Brothers
 * "That's Why (I Love You So)" - released in 1959
 * Sold over a million copies
 * Reaches US #13
 * August 1959 - "I'll Be Satisfied" reaches US #20; this was Wilson's last hit song that was penned by Gordy and Davis, amid an acrimonious bust-up
 * Wilson's manager, Nat Tarnopol, refused to let Gordy to write the B-sides for Wilson's singles
 * In 1959, netted a ten-day, $15,000 contract to play the annual Labor Day show at the Fox Theater in Brooklyn
 * Set an attendance record at the Apollo Theater when he first performed there in November 1959, then matched it a year later in June the next year
 * 1960 - Wilson is now managed by Green's assistant, Nat Tarnopol, after Green's death
 * Tarnopol steers both Wilson's recordings and live performances towards the majority, white, middle-class audience Dee Gee Records
 * 1960 - "Doggin' Around" / "Night" double-sided record
 * 1960 - "Night" - Wilson's biggest hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is Wilson's second song to sell one million copies
 * September 1960 - Billboard reports that Wilson re-signed a contract with Brunswick; earlier in the same month, Billboard reported that Brunswick Records would separate from Decca Records and become its own individual label
 * Nat Tarnopol named executive vice president of Brunswick
 * December 1960 - voted "Entertainer of the Year" by Cash Box magazine
 * March 1962 - altercation occurred where Wilson had to be restrained by friends after beating a female companion; Wilson had torn bathroom fixtures out with his bare hands and had to cancel a performance the next day due to blood loss
 * Played the Copacabana nightclub in 1962 to very positive critical reception; owner Jules Podell signed him to a three-year contract after his first show
 * Made multiple appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show; made his seventh appearance in two years in March 1963
 * "Baby Workout" was released in 1963, reached top 10 on the charts (peaked at #5 on Billboard Hot 100)
 * Recorded with seven brasses, five reeds, four rhythm with an extra guitar, and seven voices; recorded last January; took an hour to record
 * According to records taken from Michel Ruppli's The Decca Labels: A Discography listed at the Discography of American Historical Recordings, it was recorded in January 1963
 * Trombones - Ernie Royal, Jimmy Nottingham, Bernie Privin, Taft Jordan (trumpet), Robert Alexander, Gilbert Cohen, Henderson Chambers
 * Alto sax - George Dorsey, Sidney Cooper
 * Tenor sax - Jerome Richardson, Seldon Powell
 * Baritone sax - Dave McRae
 * Piano - David Martin
 * Organ - Dick Hyman
 * Guitar - Everett Barksdale, Wallace Richardson
 * Bass - Lloyd Trotman
 * Drums - Panama Francis
 * Percussion - Phil Kraus
 * 10 strings and chorus
 * A 1963 review from Billboard highlighted this song on the same-titled album, saying that "Jackie Wilson, after a relatively cool spell in terms of hits, has bounced right back on the charts with his current wild shouter, "Baby Workout.""

Career downturn, "Higher and Higher", and final years (1964–1975)

 * December 1966 - "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)", produced by Carl Davis, moves Wilson into the emerging soul field; reaches US #11; Davis will continue to produce more music for Wilson
 * Carl Davis: "When I began working with Jackie he was disenchanted with his management company because he wasn't getting the kind of material he wanted to do. I found him a beautiful person to work with, and he had a great deal of confidence in me. If he came into Chicago and I wasn't there, he wouldn't work until I got there. He knew what I was trying to do."
 * October 1967 - "Higher and Higher" hit US #6, Wilson scores his third million-selling single
 * Davis, on "Higher and Higher": "[Wilson] came to town to sign 'Higher and Higher', and he started singing it like a soul ballad. I said that's totally wrong. You have to jump and go along with the percussion. I would tell him that if he didn't want to sing it that way, I would put my voice on the record and sell millions of records."
 * During the early 1970s, Davis failed to come up with consistently strong songs for Wilson, and he faded as a contemporary artist relegated to performing on the oldies circuit

Illness and death

 * Collapsed onstage at the Latin Casino in Camden, New Jersey on September 25, 1975 after suffering a heart attack
 * On September 29, 1975, Wilson suffered a heart attack while performing in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on a Dick Clark "Good Ol' Rock 'n' Roll" oldies review
 * Clark called for a doctor and asked that the stage curtains be drawn
 * Hitting his head as he fell, he falls into a four-month coma and suffers severe brain damage due to oxygen starvation
 * Taken to Cherry Hill Medical Center; reported as "unresponsive"
 * Mother died less than a month later after lapsing into a diabetic coma
 * Health
 * Wilson moved to the Medford Leas Retirement Community in May 1977
 * A two-album box set compilation, The Jackie Wilson Story, was released near his death, with a portion of the proceeds going to offset medical costs
 * By his 44th birthday, Wilson was mostly unresponsive and in a wheelchair
 * January 21, 1984 - Jackie Wilson dies in Mount Holley, New Jersey
 * Funeral held at Chrysler Drive Baptist Church in Detroit
 * Originally buried without a headstone in lot 17 in Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne, Michigan; grave marker finally added in 1987
 * A fundraiser by disc jockey Jack "The Rapper" Gibson later raised over $18,000 for Wilson to be buried alongside his mother in a mausoleum

Personal life

 * Wilson was a known womanizer; he first married Freda Hood in February 1951 (when Wilson was 16 and Hood was 17) after Hood had become pregnant
 * Shooting of Wilson
 * On February 15, 1961, Wilson was shot twice in an altercation with Juanita Jones, one bullet entering his lower back and the other his abdomen
 * Jones was reported in the news as a fan who sat in the foyer and tried to speak to Wilson, as he walked by her while returning to his West 57th street apartment at 3:00 AM
 * According to police reports, Jones knocked on Wilson's apartment door, and after being denied an audience by the singer, pulled out a .38 caliber revolver
 * It was reported that Jones told police she had meant to shoot herself because she had loved him ever since he made "Lonely Teardrops", and that she didn't want to hurt him
 * The revolver discharged when Wilson tried to reach for it
 * Jones was charged with felonious assault, and bail was set at $2500 pending a hearing on February 28
 * Wilson underwent surgery to remove a kidney in April 1961
 * Wilson's condition was reported as "critical"; fans of the singer were worried, inundating the hospital's telephone switchboard with double the amount of phone calls than usual
 * Wilson was discharged from Roosevelt Hospital on March 18 with a bullet still in his abdomen; he declined to press charges against Jones
 * Wilson, in an 1975 interview, maintained it was a jealous fan who shot him: "We also had some trouble in 1961. That was when some crazy chick took a shot at me and nearly put me away for good. It took some time, some good doctors, and a lot of help from the Man Upstairs before I got out of the hospital and back to where I could perform."
 * 1967 - Wilson marries Harlean Harris in Harlem
 * Daughter Jacqueline Wilson was shot to death in 1988

Legal problems

 * 1960 New Orleans arrest
 * Police arrested seven people, including Wilson, at a jazz concert that turned into a fight at Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans
 * According to the police, it began when an officer assigned to the concert asked one of the performers to not leave the stage and interact with the audience members
 * When this happened, the other band members started jumping off of the stage and throwing things at the police officer
 * 1966 Texas arrest
 * Wilson was arrested for inciting a riot at the Flamingo No. 2 nightclub; later convicted of drunkenness in a Justice of the Peace Court
 * Police reports said that the manager of the club called for help to break up an unruly crowd at around midnight; officers reported a crowd of 300 people fighting and throwing furniture; according to the manager, they were upset because Wilson was three hours late to the show
 * When officers asked Wilson to stop, he refused, and so they arrested him
 * 1969 arrest over alleged breach of contract
 * After a performance at the Kiel Auditorium in Missouri, Wilson was shortly arrested after jumping from a second-story window at the auditorium
 * Posted a $3,000 bond
 * Charged with a breach of a 1959 contract to perform at the Riviera Club; a default judgement was obtained against Wilson in December 1959
 * Questioned as witness in 1969 killing of Karen Lynn Calloway
 * Dennis Calloway was charged with murder after shooting his wife multiple times with a .38 caliber pistol on November 14, 1969
 * Karen Lynn Calloway was a former Playboy Club bunny who had been employed at a nightclub
 * According to a statement by Calloway, his wife had been infatuated with the singer
 * When Calloway tried to intervene, a bodyguard of Wilson's told him "Butt out, man, Jackie doesn't like anyone messing around his women", and that when Calloway protested that she was his wife, the bodyguard said, "It... was... your wife"
 * Wilson had been subpoenaed to the hearing, but collapsed before being called to testify
 * Wilson testified that Karen Lynn and her roommate had slept in his motel room the night before he was shot, but he slept in another room; informed the court that he and Karen Lynn were friends
 * Dennis Calloway was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison

Artistry

 * Wilson was considered one of the most talented and best-loved soul singers of all time
 * Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops, recalling Wilson during his time with The Dominoes: "I remember Jackie when he used to come into town, when he was with Billy Ward and the Dominoes. It was always the highlight of our year. He was sort of our mentor, besides being our best friend and family. He was the guy we were all impressed with and made us want to be in show business."
 * Elvis Presley talked about the time he first saw Billy Ward and the Dominoes in Las Vegas in 1956: "There's a guy out there who's doin' a take-off of me: "Don't Be Cruel". He tried so hard, till he got much better, boy; much better than that record of mine."
 * Presley would later go on to befriend Wilson, see him perform, and even incorporate some of Wilson's stage mannerisms in his own performances
 * Carl Davis: "He was dynamite [...] You almost had to ask the man to come off the stage. He was perpetual motion. He would dance, skip across the stage, hit all the notes and dress well. I felt for him like I feel for Michael Jackson."
 * Smokey Robinson: "[...] Jackie Wilson turned out to be probably my greatest idol that I ever had, as far as an entertainer. Because to me, he had everything. Jackie was just a complete package. The other guys could sing, but Jackie could sing and dance and entertain. He was just really great. So I think I probably admired him more than all the other guys."
 * A 1956 article in the Jackson Advocate reported that WIlson's records were played an estimated 12,000 times a day across America
 * In 1959, a poll of 3,500 American DJs revealed that Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops" was one of the most-played songs the previous year
 * Bruno Mars cites Wilson as an influence

Influences

 * From Icons of R&B and Soul: An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm:
 * Prior to joining the Dominoes, Wilson was influenced by lead singer Clyde McPhatter's voice; he used elements of McPhatter's vocal techniques in his own performances
 * Other influences included gospel singers such as The Soul Stirrers and Ira Tucker of The Dixie Hummingbirds, pop acts like The Ink Spots and The Mills Brothers, and operatic vocalists Mario Lanza and Vaughn Monroe
 * Al Jolson's stage acts heavily influenced Wilson's thoughts about how people should perform onstage, as well as Louis Jordan
 * Liner notes from the 1984 release of Reet Petite from Ace Records note that Wilson credited Billy's Ward vocal coaching during his time with the Dominoes as a major help ("I learned just about everything I know from him. Breath control and how to dance during one number and then come back and sing a ballad. That's hard.")

Voice

 * Described as being a tenor with a strong falsetto
 * Voice featured fast vibrato, a wide range, clear enunciation, and bluesy improvisation techniques

Style

 * Wilson's work spanned all types of genres from 1951 to 1975
 * Performed traditional songs like "Danny Boy"
 * Performed classical-style songs like "Night" and "Alone at Last"
 * Blues ballads like "Doggin' Around"
 * At his best with uptempo dance songs like "Baby Workout" and "Shake! Shake! Shake!" that allowed to demonstrate his acrobatic prowess
 * Also collaborated with other artists -- Linda Hopkins ("Shake a Hand"), LaVern Baker ("Think Twice"), Count Basie ("Chain Gang")
 * A Billboard review of Wilson's live album, Jackie Wilson at the Copa, stated that the album "[showed] off his exciting style and powerful pipes on an unusual collection of tunes, from pop to r.&b., from standards to swingers by Ray Charles."
 * Hampered by the songs given to him
 * Brock Helander in The Rockin' '50s: The People Who Made the Music - Wilson "suffered through intrusive arrangements and critical neglect in the early '60s."
 * Colin Larkin in the Encyclopedia of Popular Music - After 'Doggin' Around' and 'A Woman, A Lover, A Friend', "His musical direction then grew increasingly erratic, veering from mainstream to pseudo-opera. There were still obvious highlights [...] but all too often his wonderfully fluid voice was wasted on cursory, quickly dated material."
 * Larkin: "Wilson's career remains a puzzle; he never did join Berry Gordy's Motown empire, despite their early collaboration and friendship. Instead, the singer's legacy is flawed - dazzling in places, disappointing in others."

Image

 * Became known as "Mr. Excitement" - reflects energetic style of performance and inventive dancing
 * Exciting dance moves
 * Wilson's sister Joyce told Jet magazine that while Wilson was not a trained dancer, his on-stage footwork was based off of boxing steps that he incorporated into his performances
 * Often seen dripping in sweat in live performance
 * Was regarded as a sex symbol - "sweat-drenched sexuality"
 * Ebony magazine: "Now, the audience is with him, swaying, moaning, growing with him to the climax of the song as he sags to his knees at the edge of the stage. Hands grab at him, pieces of his clothing disappear into the hiding places of the adoring women who boil around him like a school of sharks. [...] The screams of the girls die down, leaving only the rhythmic, exhausted breathing of the collective mass to whom Jackie Wilson is 'the end'."
 * Guitarist Billy Davis, in an interview with American Black Journal: "He works an audience just like a man meets a girl, he's fascinated by these chicks... he's working ten, fifteen thousand people the same manner, you know. He excites 'em, he pets 'em, he caresses them. [...] Then when he get ready, he brings them all to a climax at the same time. Ten thousand people. That's the only way I could describe him."

Legacy

 * In 2015, it was announced that the Wilson family had given their permission to let a digital hologram of Jackie Wilson go on tour
 * In a retrospective article on Detroit's 100 greatest songs, the Detroit Free Press ranked "Lonely Teardrops" at number 28 and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" at number 18
 * Wilson is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987
 * Cottage Grove Street, the street Wilson lived on in his childhood, was renamed Jackie Wilson Lane in 2016
 * Wilson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019