Left us on this day (Jan. 21) in 1984: R&B singer Jackie Wilson (pneumonia while in a long-term coma, age 49), who came to be known as Mr. Excitement during a career that spanned from the early-50s until tragedy struck in 1975; he recorded over 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop & easy listening, including Reet Petite (1957 UK #6, topping the chart upon reissue in 1986), Lonely Teardrops (1958 US #7) & (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (1967 US #6); as a performer, he knew few equals - he is said to have inspired both Elvis Presley & Michael Jackson; on September 25, 1975, Jackie suffered a heart attack while singing Lonely Teardrops at a Dick Clark concert revue in New Jersey - the on-stage fall resulted in a head injury that left him in a coma for the rest of his life; a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, he was also inducted to the R&R Hall of Fame in 1987; Rolling Stone ranked him #69 on their list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time…
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 21:54:14 +0000