ALBUM: The Story of Jackie Wilson
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Jackie Wilson was a contemporary of the legendary Sam Cooke. They even sang together a few times and, as the story goes, they both tried to outdo the other.
They both were shot under mysterious, but different circumstances. Cooke died from his wounds, while Wilson survived and came back. But he was never the same.
I draw the comparison because they both are super talents that should be familiar to more people. Cooke actually made a good living before he was shot to death Dec. 11, 1964 at a hotel in Los Angeles.
Wilson never really achieved Sam Cooke level success during his lifetime.
While Wilson didn’t have quite the gospel roots as Cooke, he had a voice that could melt butter, a crooner who could hit all the notes.
When Elvis Presley was told Jackie Wilson was nicknamed the ‘Black Elvis,’ Elvis reportedly quipped: I guess that makes me the white Jackie Wilson.
Wilson got a nod from Van Morrison in the 1970s with the song, Jackie Wilson Said.