John Wilson speaks during a Walk of Fame star unveiling ceremony for his late father and American soul music legend Jackie Wilson, in Hollywood, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2019.
*Soul music icon Jackie Wilson received a long overdue star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Sept. 4, which was accepted by his son, John Wilson.
Wilson, who died in a hospital at the age of 49 in 1984, is considered one of the great hitmakers of the early rock ’n’ roll. As noted by Variety, Wilson –a native of Detroit, born Jack Leroy Wilson — first charted with “Reet Petite” (No. 66, 1957), “Lonely Teardrops” (No. 7, 1958) and “That’s Why (I Love You So)” (No. 13, 1959). His later hits included “Baby Workout” (No. 5, 1963), “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (No. 6, 1967) and “I Get the Sweetest Feeling” (No. 38, 1968).
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Known in the music world as “Mr. Excitement,” Wilson suffered a heart attack on stage in 1975. He survived, but would never perform again. He spent his last years in nursing homes and hospitals. At the time of his death, he was all but broke, the report states.
Wilson was one of the first African-American performers to cross over, and became a staple on television shows such as “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “American Bandstand” and “Hullaballoo,” per New York Daily News.
He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and became a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.
The family of the late American soul singer Jackie Wilson, who died at 49 in January 1984, pose for a photo as his star is unveiled at a ceremony in Hollywood, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2019.
According to NBC Los Angeles, “Motown founder Berry Gordy, legendary singer Smokey Robinson and Marshall Thompson, a member of the R&B/soul vocal quartet “The Chi-Lites,” were among the A-listers who gathered for the walk of fame ceremony.
“If my father was here today, he would say getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has truly taken us higher than we’ve ever been lifted before,” John Wilson said.
The ceremony coincided with the release of “The Definitive Jackie Wilson,” a compilation of 50 remastered classic songs.
“Jackie Wilson was absolutely the man,” Robinson told the crowd. “I am so happy that he finally got this recognition and he will be on this street for all times.”
Harlean Harris Wilson, Wilson’s widow who died on Aug. 24 and the age of 81, said of her husband before she passed: “That title Mr. Excitement wasn’t just given to him; he worked for it.” She remembered Wilson as “very vibrant, very effervescent, generous to a fault. He loved to sing and he loved life.”
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