Jackie Wilson was a 1950’s singer known for his unique voice and his large amount of energy on stage. He had many hits including “Lonely Teardrops,” “To be Loved,” “Reet Petite,” and “Higher and higher.” Jackie was born on June 9, 1934 in Detroit Michigan. He had an extremely intriguing career and personal life, and a long-lost son who continues to perform his music to this day.
Jack Leroy Wilson Jr was born on June 9, 1934 in Detroit Michigan. Before the age of 17, he started drinking and dropped out of school, and soon began to perform in multiple gospel and R&B groups. In 1953, he became the lead singer for a group called Billy Ward’s Dominos, replacing Clyde Mcphatter for three years. He got in this position after being discovered in a talent show by an agent named Johnny Otis 2 years prior. Wilson soon released his first single in 1957 for Brunswick records called “Reet Petite,” which was a big success. More hits soon followed such as “To be Loved” in 1958, and “Lonely Teardrops” in 1959. Jackie Wilson was now a star…
As the 1960’s came around, he performed in various night clubs in cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Los Vegas. He soon earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement” for his exciting dance moves while performing his songs. Wilson soon was appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, and Ed Sullivan himself was apparently a big fan. The article from edsullivan.com says, “Following Wilson’s act, Ed told the audience “That’s the first of many performances he is going to make on our stage, even if I have to drag him on here” (edsullivan.com). By the time his second appearance on the show rolled around, he delivered yet another great performance despite being shot, resulting in the removal of a kidney and a bullet permanently near his spine. The shot was either fired by an obsessed fan or a jealous girlfriend, nobody really knows. In 1967 he had another big hit song called “Higher and Higher.” In 1975, over a decade later, Jackie was doing a concert when he suddenly had a major heart attack on stage. He never completely recovered and spent almost 9 years in a coma. In 1984, the legend Jackie Wilson, died in a nursing home. He was soon inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bobby Wilson is a tribute performer to Jackie Wilson. He was raised in a foster home when he was young, and he had a bad case of bronchitis, which didn’t disappear until he turned 16. He soon finally met his birth mother, and married a young woman who had their son, Bobby Junior. He soon decided that he would complete 2 years of study at the Midlands Technical College in Columbia, and went to another school for a while until he dropped out to join the Navy. He served in the navy for the next 10 years of his life, and after he served, he decided to enter a talent show and perform classic songs. He soon became a singer for a Doo-wop group called Peter and the Love Notes, and some of the other members pointed out that he had the same vocal range as Jackie Wilson. Meanwhile, his biological mother became an alcoholic and said that she didn’t know who his actual father was. When she saw a picture of her son, she said “Don’t ever send any pictures of Jackie Wilson…” Bobby looked and sounded like Jackie, and his mother ended up admitting that she hung out with Jackie back in the day. So, he did a DNA test and it turned out that Jackie Wilson was Bobby Wilson’s biological father. So, now Bobby often performs tribute songs to his father, now knowing the truth that he is Jackie Wilson’s long lost son…
Jackie Wilson was a popular performer in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and his son continues to sing his songs to this day.
