Jackie Wilson

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).

Jackie Wilson
Wilson in 1961
Wilson in 1961
Background information
Birth nameJack Leroy Wilson Jr.
Also known asMr. Excitement
Born(1934-06-09)June 9, 1934
Highland Park, Michigan, U.S.
DiedJanuary 21, 1984(1984-01-21) (aged 49)
Mount Holly, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1953–1975
Labels

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.[1][2]

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.[3] 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.[4] 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).[5][6] NPR named him one of the 50 Great Voices.[7]

  1. ^ "Jackie Wilson (American singer)". Britannica.com. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
  2. ^ Jackie Wilson at AllMusic
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "THE RHYTHM & BLUES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES HONOREES FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL PIONEER AWARDS GALA CELEBRATION SET FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 IN NEW YORK". Prweb.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2005. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  5. ^ "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  6. ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  7. ^ "Jackie Wilson: The Singer and The Showman". NPR.