She's Alright

Short but oh so sweet - Jackie Wilson shows his gospel roots:

Previously:

A glorious voice, and a great dancer. It's quite a legacy: probably the major influence on both James Brown and Michael Jackson. Maybe Elvis as well, though Wilson was refreshingly honest about the influence sometimes going the other way: "A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis.” A tragic end - a heart attack on stage in 1975, at the age of only 41, followed by nine years in a coma before dying in 1984 - by which time he was largely forgotten.

With a later generation of black performers converting to Islam, it's interesting that Jackie Wilson was, according to his Wiki entry, a convert to Judaism.

Also:

Reet Petite, the original, and a great version by South Londoner Si Cranstoun.

Lonely Teardrops, on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

Higher and Higher, in colour, plus an interesting remix. And Si Cranstoun again, live from Bromley.

Comments

[Animal]

You didnt mention some pretty bad stuff about him that's in the Wikipedia profile. You would never think it from the performances but in his personal life he sounds little different from the gangsta rappers.

[Mick H]

Well OK - he certainly wasn't a saint.