Jackie Wilson

Jack Leroy Jackie Wilson, Jr. was an American soul singersongwriter and performer. A tenor with a four octave vocal range, he was nicknamed Mr. Excitement, and was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was considered a master showman, and one of the most dynamic and influential singers and performers in RampB and rock n roll history. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the RampB vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes, he went solo in 1957 and recorded over 50 hit singles that spanned RampB, pop, soul, doowop and easy listening. This includedRampB Tophits, includingRampB 1s. On the Billboard Hot 100, he scoredTopPop hits,of which made it into the Pop Top 10. On September 29, 1975, while headlining a Dick Clark Oldies Concert, he collapsed on stage from what was later determined to be a massive heart attack, and subsequently slipped into a coma, slowly awakening over a period ofmonths. He remained semicomatose for theyears

Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr. was born on June 9, 1934, in Detroit, Michigan, the only son of Jack Sr. and Eliza Mae Wilson, as she lost two previous children. Eliza Mae was born on The BillupsWhitfield Place in Columbus, Mississippi. Her parents were Tom and Virginia Ransom. Jackie often visited his family in Columbus and was greatly influenced by the choir at Billups Chapel. Growing up in the rough Detroit area of Highland Park, Wilson joined a gang called the Shakers and often found himself in trouble. Wilsons father was frequently absent, as he was alcoholic and usually out of work. Wilson began singing at an early age, accompanying his mother, once a choir singer, to church. In his early teens Jackie joined a quartet, the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, which became a popular feature of churches in the area. Jackie was not very religious, but enjoyed singing and used the money he and his group earned performing to buy cheap wine which he began drinking at the age of nine. Jack Sr. and Eliza s

Source: Wikipedia