Wilson's solo career begin with 1957's "Reet Petite", written by the then unknown Berry Gordy, Jr. and recorded on the Brunswick Records label with whom Wilson would remain throughout his career. He had his first top 40 hit in 1958 with "To Be Loved". At the end of that year he had his first big success with "Lonely Teardrops" that went to #7 on the charts. The song, also written by Berry Gordy, Jr. became his signature tune. That same year saw Wilson release his first LP titled He's So Fine.
Wilson's brand of pop-soul and R&B helped him cross over to the mainstream, having several pop hits. His dynamic stage performances earned him the nickname "Mr. Excitement". His performance of "Lonely Teardrops" on the Ed Sullivan Show is considered one of its classics. In the 1960s, Wilson continued to record singles, many of them operatic, such as "Danny Boy" or "Night", others were up-tempo and exciting, such as "Baby Workout" in 1963. Although married to Frida Hood since 1951, Wilson was a notorious womanizer and was shot and wounded by one of his alleged lovers, Juanita Jones, on February 15 1961 in a jealous rage as he returned to his apartment with another woman, fashion model Harlean Harris, an ex-girlfriend of singer Sam Cooke. As a married man conducting extra-marital affairs, his management decided, as a way not to damage his career, to concoct a story that Jones was an obsessed fan who threatened to shoot herself, and that Wilson's intervention concluded in him being shot. Astonishingly, the story was accepted, and no charges were brought against Juanita Jones. He was divorced from Frida in 1965, and married Harlean Harris from 1967 until his death in 1984.
His career began to suffer in the mid-60s, though he managed a brief revival by collaborating with Carl Davis, a legendary Chicago producer. This resulted in two hits, "Whispers" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". The revival was short-lived, though, and Wilson rarely charted in the 1970s. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage; he was singing "Lonely Teardrops". A comatose Wilson lived in a hospital until his death in 1984 at age 49. His medical costs were paid for by Dick Clark. In 1985, successful soul/funk band The Commodores, recorded "Nightshift" which was a song in memory of Wilson, as well as soul singer Marvin Gaye, who died in the same year as Wilson.
Van Morrison also recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 hit album Saint Dominic's Preview. This song was later covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV show Top of the Pops, a picture of Wilson was intended to be used in the background - but an intentional joke by the band and the production staff meant that a picture of darts player Jocky Wilson was used instead. Wilson is mentioned in the rap song "thugs mansion" Tupac and Nas. The exact quote is, "Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook Drinkinn peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke".
Wilson scored a posthumous hit when "Reet Petite" reached number one in the United Kingdom in 1986. The following year,he also hit the UK charts again with "I Get The Sweetest Feeling"(No.3), and "Higher and Higher"(No.11). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; that same year, he was portrayed in the Richie Valens biopic La Bamba by Howard Huntsberry.
Wilson is interred in the Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne, Michigan.
Night
Jackie Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another night to dream about you
Night, each lonely night
The only time I'm not without you
Once more, I feel your kisses
Once more, I know what bliss is
Comes dawn, my darling, you're gone
Once more, I feel your kisses
Once more, I know what bliss is
Comes dawn, my darling, you're gone
But you come back into my arms each night
The song "Night" by Jackie Wilson speaks about the experience of a person who feels lonely and incomplete without their lover. The emotions are expressed by using the night as a metaphor for the sense of emptiness and longing that the singer feels in their heart. Each night, the singer dreams about their lover and considers it to be the only time when they don't feel without them. The entire song captures the essence of a person's pain when they miss someone they love dearly.
The lyrics speak about experiencing the feeling of being kissed by their lover once again which gives them the feeling of contentment and happiness. It's almost as if the singer feels that they can make up for the lost time when they dream about their lover at night. However, when dawn arrives, reality strikes, and the lover is no longer with them physically. But the singer believes that their lover comes back to them each night in their dreams, and this helps them feel less alone and more comforted.
Overall, the song beautifully captures the feelings of loneliness and the importance of the memories and dreams of one's loved ones. It conveys that the intensity of the love that one shares with their significant other can transcend the physical distance and keep their souls connected.
Line by Line Meaning
Night, here comes the night
The night has arrived, bringing with it another opportunity for dreaming of you
Another night to dream about you
The night represents a chance to think about you, as if you were there with me
Night, each lonely night
Every night is a reminder of how lonely I am without you
The only time I'm not without you
The night represents the only time when I feel like you are with me, even though you are not physically there
Once more, I feel your kisses
I am transported back to another time when I felt your loving touch
Once more, I know what bliss is
I am reminded of the happiness and contentment I felt when I was with you
Comes dawn, my darling, you're gone
As the sun rises, I am forced to face the reality that you are not actually with me
But you come back into my arms each night
Despite the temporary nature of our nocturnal reunions, I treasure the moments when I can mentally embrace you again
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: JOHANNA HALL, JOHANNA D HALL, JOHN HALL, JON HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
frdjr252
My favorite Jackie Wilson song ever! No one to my knowledge has attempted to cover it since it was a hit in 1960. I'm not sure there's anyone who can admirably sing this song as well as Jackie did!
frdjr252
@Peter Heidgerd Thanks!
Peter Heidgerd
That's EXACTLY IT, the way you chose to say it!!!
Derek Myers
If I told you I can, you'd become very confrontational and combative, so I totally can't.
frdjr252
@Gerald Colucci Yes, it's from Saint-Saens' opera "Samson and Delilah". The melody was taken from the aria, "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix". I have listened to the French version.
Gerald Colucci
THIS SONG IS FROM AN OPERA! CK OUT THE FRENCH VERSION!
Harve Joel
If you appreciate this voice, then we are kindred spirits,Jackie's sound transcends time!
Alex Hargrove
No modern singer today can come close to this man’s voice unless it is an opera performer!
george vincent
@Tom Zsenyuk Alone At Last was another great one for him to exercise his opera chops.
Tom Zsenyuk
Jackie used to brag that he could sing ANY song or style. He was dared to sing an aria. This was his best Mario Lanza imitation.