Boxing's loss was music history's gain when, under parental pressure, Detroit's Jackie Wilson (born June 9th 1934) hung up his Golden Gloves to concentrate on gospel music. He joined the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, where he was spotted by Johnny Otis who persuaded him to take a more secular direction. Failing to make his mark in various vocal groups, he embarked on a solo career. His first attempt "Reet Petite" (1957) failed to make a splash at home, but was a huge hit in Britain and this success soon bounced back across the ocean when "Lonely Teardrops" charted the following year. Wilson's career path was erratic, leading him from mainstream fare like "Doggin' Around" (1960) to the pseudo-operatic "Night" of the same year. He often seemed to be led by trends rather than making them but the mainstay was always his impressive voice with a fluidity and expressive range that could not be equaled. He seemed return to the right track in the late 60's when he changed direction and produced "I Get The Sweetest Feeling" (1968) and "Higher and Higher" (1967) seemingly a perfect marriage of melody and Wilson's florid vocal style. Sadly Wilson's career ended in tragic style when he suffered a heart attack on stage in 1975 and spent the rest of his life in a coma, finally passing on January 21 1984. One of the great vocalists of the next generation, Van Morrison, paid the ultimate tribute penning "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" in his honor. SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
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