Jack Leroy Wilson, Jr
Detroit-born musician series.
Gospel singer turned rhythm-and-blues singer turned pop singer, Jackie Wilson was a successful Golden Globe boxer. When his mom asked him to stop boxing, he chose to go into music.
In 1953, he became the lead singer of Billie Ward and the Dominoes, and in 1957 he went solo. He released Reet Petite, and the following year he released To Be Loved. His hit Lonely Teardrops was released in 1958, and perhaps his best known song Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher was released in 1967. A tenor with a four octave vocal range, Mr. Wilson was dubbed Mr. Excitement throughout the 50s and 60s.
On September 25, 1975, he had a heart attack onstage while performing Lonely Teardrops. He slipped into a coma, and eight years later passed away at the age of 49.
Jackie Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
