Mr. Excitement! That’s who Jackie Wilson was. From his energetic dance routines to his dashing looks, he indeed generated excitement every time he performed.

Born Jack Leroy Wilson on June 9, 1934, he was the ultimate master showman and has the distinction of being one of the most influential singers and performers in rock and roll and R&B history. Hits such as “Lonely Teardrops” (written by Berry Gordy Jr.), “Reet Petite” and “Baby Workout” won him thousands of fans all over. He was a huge influence on the King of Pop, Michael Jackson; he and his brothers opened for Jackie when the group performed on the Chitlin Circuit, before they signed with Motown Records. Michael studied Jackie’s spins, splits, hops, turns and footwork, taking mental note after mental note for his future performances (a month after Wilson died, Michael dedicated his Album of the Year Grammy for Thriller to Jackie by giving a heartfelt speech in his memory).

Jackie was also a huge influence on who many in the mainstream hail as the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley. In truth, Elvis was basically a poor man’s carbon copy of Jackie Wilson, from his slicked down hair, soulful wailing, jumpsuits and the swivel routine, all of which Jackie popularized first but Elvis took and made his own. Nevertheless, Jackie was one of the roots in the R&B era from which many musical branches grew.

By the early seventies, Jackie continued to perform and record albums—some of which featured the best work he ever recorded, but his heyday had long gone. The young generation at that time was into artists such as James Brown (who began his singing career around the same time as Jackie), The Jackson 5, Al Green and Aretha Franklin. Because of his declining popularity, it was becoming hard to get him booked on television to perform his new material. Thankfully, just when it seemed Jackie Wilson was forgotten, a new television program called Soul Train remembered him.

Soul Train creator and host Don Cornelius didn’t play the usual politics when it came to booking acts on his show. Many times, Don gave many well-established and veteran soul singers and acts who no longer had hits airtime on his show, unlike many of the mainstream shows who only booked acts if they had big hits.

In January 1972, Jackie had a new single entitled “You Got Me Walking,” a magnificent scorching mid-tempo ballad written by Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites. The problem was getting the song some airtime on television. Fortunately, Don Cornelius, who was an old friend of Jackie’s, heard the record, reached out to him and booked him on his program as a special guest.

Jackie received thunderous applause from the Soul Train Gang as he walked out onto the dance floor dressed in a dark blue denim suit and shiny boots. When Don asked Jackie how long he had been in the business, Jackie replied, “Since 1957. I started with a young man who owned a small record company, he was Berry Gordy. We both started at the same time.” Don also found out that Jackie was related to Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops (who also taped the show on this day). “Right, he’s my cousin,” Jackie said. Don joked that Jackie bought Levi his first bicycle, and they both shared a great laugh.

Don asked Jackie whether he had to adjust to the changes in the music industry. “I’ve been trying,” Jackie stated. “It’s kind of hard but you have to get into it when you can.” When asked who was responsible for his success other than himself, Jackie answered, “I would actually say my manager, Nat Tarnopol.”

After some more banter, Jackie performed his new single, “You’ve Got Me Walking.”

The appearance gave the single a boost. Airing on February 26, 1972, the single went to number 22 on the soul singles chart later that March. It was lost in the shuffle with heavy competition from records at that time by Al Green, James Brown, The Dramatics and Joe Tex. Still, the fact that it made the chart showed his continued relevancy.

Later, Jackie closed the show with his smash number one hit from 1967, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.” Jackie really cut loose on this number, doing some of his trademark spins and dropping to the floor.

This was one of Jackie’s last television appearances, who continued performing before he collapsed on stage from a stroke at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in 1975. He would never perform again, and died on January 21, 1984.

It was noble of Don Cornelius to book a legend like Jackie Wilson when many in the mainstream saw him as a has-been. This is one of the reasons why Soul Train was so important for not only showcasing new, upcoming and hit-making soul/R&B acts, but also older and long forgotten acts who might have not been booked on mainstream programs. Indeed, Soul Train always honored its own and regardless if an older act had a big hit or not, black artists knew they were always welcome on the “hippest trip in America” when they were not welcomed anywhere else.

-Stephen McMillian

Journalist, writer, actor, filmmaker, dancer, performer, poet, choreographer. That’s Stephen McMillia

http://soultrain.com/2015/01/20/soul-train-history-book-jackie-wilson/

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