I read this excerpt from her book and I am just shoked! This book is getting so good and I am learning so much about this fabulous woman we already know.


She said she had always liked Wilson, but her feelings defenitley changed after a dreadful night.
It talks about how she was walking to her dressing room and some man grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth and then jackie comes around and said said, "I been waiting for you for a long time". The other man who had her dragged her into a room and put her on the floor. Jackie preceeded to touch her under her dress and she screamed the loudest she ever could and they got scared and ran off. She was too scread to tell anyone because they wouldnt ever believe her.

That changed alot that I thought about him too !

I was looking for that excerpt for years. I remembered it being mentioned elsewhere and my reaction was the same as yours.

DAMN!

Remember this is the same guy who got fatally shot by one woman for some reason and after his death, least three of them fighting for his estate which got ripped off. Jackie was also a member of a local gang in Detroit before he became a musician. The guy lived a very corrupt life though he was a great artist.

...it was Jackie Wilson. He was kissing my neck and I could smell the liquor on his breath. As I struggled to free myself Jackie's accomplice started dragging me in backwards. I was kicking with all my might, but I was no match for him. Here I was this little five-foot-three-inch girl against this 250 pound sweaty funky gorilla. Suddenly he stopped dragging me. I heard a door shut. It was the sound of doom.

I was their prisoner. No one knew I was in trouble.

... (she reminds herself of the first time she got raped by her mother's boyfriend)


Jackie went first
He took my hand away from my mouth and started touching my breats. When he reached down to lift my skirt I did the only thing I could. I started screaming. In the distance I could hear the audience screaming out front. It was time for patti labelle and the Blue Belles to take the stage. But no one could hear me screaming for help. Please God I prayed let somebody hear me.



I didnt have a knife but I had my voice. I started screaming even louder, at the top of my lungs. And I can scream every bit as loud as I can sing. It worked. Suddenly the backed off. They let me go. I ran as fast as I could in the direction of the lights. I tried to find help. I found Sarah and Nona, who had been looking for me. I told them what happened but I swore them to secrecy.....


I guess this happened at the Brevoort Theater.

I wonder what time period this was. I do understand now why she kept it from people since Jackie was this famous figure (and why other famous women didn't come out and say anything). It's understandable now.
[Edited 1/18/09 10:24am]

No way!

Patti who? What's her last name?

eaglebear4839 said:

LaBelle.

Um, most rape victims or even attempted rape victims don't come forward

scriptgirl said:

The Supremes' Florence Ballard did. Some basketball player who played for the Detroit Pistons was convicted of raping Flo when she was 17. I actually do believe Patti's story but I guess she KNEW people wouldn't believe it. And it's good Sarah and Nona didn't spill the beans. Mary Wilson actually spilled the beans about Flo's actual rape in her book.
[Edited 1/17/09 22:09pm]

Well, that was Flo. Every woman is different.It is not our place to judge

scriptgirl said:

Who's judging? I didn't say I didn't believe her.

Gladys Knight is also one who was nearly raped. It wasn't by anyone famous tho. She said in her book that some stranger crept into her house, I guess into her bedroom and scared her so much she actually screamed but the guy tried to hold her from screaming, it wasn't until Bubba Knight broke through the door that she was saved from nearly being raped that night.

Patti in her book also talked of being sexually molested by a neighbor of her's at her basement.

There's an interview in youtube where she talked about this,,,,and slapping Al Green for talking smack about her dead sister.

I wasn't supriced!

Harlepolis said:

What did Al say about Patti's sister?!

Wow

That is terrible

Damn, first grits and now this. Al can't win with women.

Timmy84 said:

I read about that, his name was Reggie Harding. I don't think he was convicted though, but not only did he rape her but he then had the nerve to say that it was her fault because of the way she walked and dressed. Oh please. As if that gives anyone the right to violate someone like that.
[Edited 1/17/09 22:57pm]

Oh Lord. This isn't surprising though. Just think of how many more artists are out there who have holding on to secrerts like this for decades?

blacmajic said:

Yeah I always wondered about that. Patti's stories of near-rape and molestation are sad. I heard that Patti refuse to participate in a Jackie Wilson tribute after Jackie died in 1984 because of that. Some accused her of being diva-ish at the time but I think people eventually understood why Patti did what she did because she kept the secret. I bet writing that book was REAL cathartic. I knew Patti suffered a lot but I didn't know she suffered like that. Made me much prouder that she didn't self-destruct like others did after all of those sexual assaults as a kid. I don't even think Patti wasn't even 21 when the near-rape allegedly occurred. I'm thinking she was probably 19 or 20 at the time. I don't know if she met Otis Williams at the time either tho.

Cinnamon234 said:

Wait, I think he was convicted of another rape but I do think Flo testified at his trial and confirmed that dude raped her. Reggie was one of her brother's friends. Flo's family and neighbors said Flo, who was a vivacious and sassy teenager, wasn't the same after that.

Otis Williams attacked Patti?

scriptgirl said:

No, Otis and Patti had a relationship.

What about Tammi Terrell?
David Ruffin used to beat the crap out of her.

scriptgirl said:

Patti told Barbara Walters about that incident 20 years ago in an interview. Most rape/molested victims don't come forward. I don't many women who don't know of other women stories of being raped or an attempt was made. Men who think women make this stories up.. it really says a lot about them.

Less make an analogy: Twenty years ago when my family moved into a new subdivision my husband was stopped by the police everyday for several weeks. Of course when he came home and told me, "I was stopped by the police", I didn't ask, Why, what did say or do, or you must have done something? I'm sure he would have been appalled and angry if I had question his integrity.I knew why and for what reasons he was being stopped. Maybe claims of police brutality/harassment or made up stories too.
[Edited 1/18/09 11:33am]

Timmy84 said:

Holt (technically)

*****
Aretha says in her book that Ronald Isley attempted to rape she and her sister Erma back in the day. I think in the case of Patti, Gladys, Aretha and Florence, they internalize these events. I also think Oprah experienced rape and moelstation. Sometimes males think they have a right to the punannie, and they act accordingly. Many abusers were absued themselves. It would be shocking to people how many males have been sexually abused by their grandfathers, fathers, uncles, older brothers and cousins and friends of the family, then they in turn do the dame to both males and females.

I knew about Patti and Oprah but all these others stories... Sad. Yes, I too wonder how many other women today right now in the entertainment industry have been violated.

What did Al say about Patti's sister? Something about him has always rubbed me the wrong way.

I've read Patti's book and there was some friction between her and Al Green.They were both starring in a stage musical called "Your Arms Are Too Short To Box With God".This was in the early 80s.Patti's sister had paased away and understandably,Patti had to cancel a few dates.I think Al made a few disrespectful comments? I gotta find the book and look it up!

JackieBlue said:

Yeah makes you wonder, really. I know they must really be appalled by women like "superhead" who threw herself at rappers and told about it in a book, while back in the day, there were many female artists who were sexually abused or nearly sexually abused by other famous male artists. Its really sad. I feel for Patti.