Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of the most dynamic singers and performers in soul, R&B, and rock and roll history. Born in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park, Michigan, Wilson initially gained fame as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes. He went solo in 1957 and scored over 50 chart singles spanning the genres of R&B, rock 'n' roll, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. This included 16 Top 10 R&B hits, six of which ranked as number ones. On the Billboard Hot 100, Wilson scored 14 top 20 pop hits, six of which reached the top 10. In 1975, Wilson suffered a heart attack during a performance, which left him in a minimally conscious state until his death in 1984. Wilson was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He is also inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Two of Wilson's recordings were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. He was honored with the Legacy Tribute Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 2003. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Wilson No. 69 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and placed him on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time (2023). NPR named Wilson one of the 50 Great Voices. |
Birth and Death Data: Born June 9, 1934 (Detroit (city in and county seat of Wayne County, and largest city in State of Michigan, United States)), Died January 21, 1984 (Mount Holly (township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States; county seat of Burlington County, New Jersey) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1956 - 1970
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 176-200 of 350 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decca | 113811 | 7/22/1963 | Adeste fideles (O come all ye faithful) | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113812 | 7/22/1963 | Deck the hall | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113813 | 7/23/1963 | White Christmas | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113814 | 7/23/1963 | I'll be home for Christmas | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113815 | 7/23/1963 | Silver bells | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113816 | 7/23/1963 | O little town of Bethlehem | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113817 | 7/23/1963 | It came upon the midnight clear | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113818 | 7/23/1963 | The first Noel | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113900 | 8/7/1963 | The new breed | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113901 | 8/7/1963 | Don't laugh at me | Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113902 | 8/7/1963 | Start the record over | Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 113903 | 8/7/1963 | Love is where you find it | Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114325 | 1/6/1964 | Haunted house | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114326 | 1/6/1964 | I'm travelin' on | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114327 | 1/6/1964 | Kick of the mule | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114328 | 1/6/1964 | Mama of my song | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114329 | 1/6/1964 | Try me | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114330 | 1/6/1964 | An ocean I'll cry | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114331 | 1/6/1964 | So high | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114332 | 1/6/1964 | I ain't | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114333 | 1/7/1964 | Bless my broken heart | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114334 | 1/7/1964 | Hey hey New York | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114335 | 1/7/1964 | It takes one to know one | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114336 | 1/7/1964 | Reality | Jackie Wilson | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 114337 | 1/7/1964 | Hold me, need me | Jackie Wilson | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wilson, Jackie," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/351191.
Wilson, Jackie. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/351191.
"Wilson, Jackie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Jackie Wilson
Discogs: Jackie Wilson
Allmusic: Jackie Wilson
Grove: Jackie Wilson
IMDb: Jackie Wilson
Britannica: Jackie Wilson
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Wilson, Jackie - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92010203
Wikidata: Jackie Wilson - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q181483
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/56797966
MusicBrainz: Jackie Wilson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/f0bf4fa0-028e-452f-82d3-7d4375e105dd
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/298525 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/298525
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