Born this day, June 9, 1934, Jackie Wilson would be 69 today. He was the dancingest, singingest, soulfelest guy around.
Jackie Wilson was as good a soul singer as anyone ever, including even Sam Cooke. His range and technical skills are unsurpassed. Unlike, say, Mariah Carey however, he also communicated much emotion, and a great range. He could make some beautiful dark night of the soul thing like "No Pity (In the Naked City)". He has about as good a rendition of "Danny Boy" as I've heard.
Perhaps even trickier, he could work magic with a pop trifle such as his first hit, "Reet Petite". This was during the late 1950s, written by a young Berry Gordy a year or two before he started Motown.
Wilson's career was spotty artistically and commercially. Partly this comes from lack of songs; he was not a songwriter. Partly, he tended to be overproduced.
It's one of the great missed opportunities of pop music that Gordy didn't recruit Jackie Wilson for Motown. Generally more muscular or athletic than Sam Cooke or Smokey Robinson, Wilson would have been perfect working with Holland-Dozier-Holland. Ah, well.
As it is, he left an outstanding recorded legacy. The big Titan of Soul box set would be a sweet addition to any pop music collection. However, the 24 tracks of the Ace label's Very Best of Jackie Wilson set might be sufficient for the casual fan.
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