Biography of Jackie Wilson

In terms of range, vocal gymnastics, and showmanship -- not to mention the ability to simply belt out a song -- nobody could match Jackie Wilson. Graduating from Billy Ward's Dominoes, he signed with the Brunswick label and began his career performing songs co-written by fellow Detroiter Berry Gordy, later the founder of Motown. These included "To Be Loved," "Lonely Teardrops," and "Reet Petite." Wilson trod the line between R&B and pop, often favoring the latter where he could use his astonishing range to good effect. His records were frequently characterized by a surfeit of brass and Tonight Show arrangements. Fans contend that Jackie Wilson was incapable of making a bad record, but his output remains a mixed bag to most ears. The best is among the most thrilling music to emerge from the late '50s and early '60s.Wilson's career entered the doldrums as the British invaded, and it took a new producer, Carl Davis, to revitalize him. Davis produced the timeless soul classics "Whispers" (1966) and "Higher and Higher" (1967), and Wilson was still charting on a regular -- if somewhat lowly -- basis when he collapsed onstage in 1975. He lived in a coma for another eight-and-a-half years. ~ Colin Escott