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.
She's All Right
Jackie Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's All Right (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)
She's All Right with me (I've got somethin' I wanna talk about)
She may not be, no movie Queen
But I want to keep the little girl, right here on my scene
Let me tell ya,
She's All Right (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)
She's All Right with me
(And one other, one other thing I wanna say, yeah)
She may not wear, all kind of fancy clothes
But what I dig about the little girl
Is the way she wrinkles up her cute little nose, Let me tell ya...
She's All Right (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)
She's All Right (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)
She's All Right with me
(I think I'm gonna talk about her a little more)...
(Spoken testamonial lyrics)...
I remember, yes I remember one morning
The girl came a runnin', runnin' to my bedside
I was so sick, and I couldn't get well
Believe me when I tell ya I was hungry and helpless
Don't cha know she came a runnin', She got down,
She got down on her knees,
And she said "jackie, I'm gonna wipe your brow"
She said, "Jackie darlin', you gotta feel, you gotta feel,
And I'm gonna make you all right!"
She's All Right (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)
She's All Right (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)
She's All Right with me (Let's talk about her one more time,
I want the world to know)...
She's All Right, Yeah, talkin' bout my little baby
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, oooh, (Fade Out)
The song "She's All Right" by Jackie Wilson is a declaration of love for a woman who may not conform to conventional standards of beauty, but still possesses many admirable qualities. Although she may not be the stunning movie queen that society idealizes, the singer wants to keep her close and recognizes that she is more than acceptable in his eyes. He appreciates her for the way she crinkles her nose and the support she gives him when he is sick and struggling. Overall, the song celebrates the beauty in imperfection and underscores the importance of personality and loyalty in a relationship.
Furthermore, this song is an embodiment of the soul and R&B genre that was prevalent in the 1960s. It has a simple and catchy melody, with a bluesy element, showcased by strong riffs and chords on the guitar. The lyrics are sentimental and romantic, with a wistful tone that is emphasized by the vocal harmonies. The background vocals screaming, "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" and "Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, Ooh" provide an upbeat and dynamic element that contrast with the slow and somewhat melancholic tempo of the lead vocals. Jackie Wilson's powerful voice conveys the message that although he may not have found societal beauty standards in his chosen person, he believes that she is everything that he could ever desire, extolling her excellence as the song goes on.
Line by Line Meaning
She's All Right (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)
Despite any seeming faults, she is all right with me, just the way she is.
She's All Right (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)
I'm emphasizing yet again that she really is all right with me.
She's All Right with me (I've got somethin' I wanna talk about)
I want to share with others why this girl is so special to me.
She may not be, no movie Queen
This girl might not meet typical beauty standards.
But I want to keep the little girl, right here on my scene
She's special to me no matter what others might think.
Let me tell ya,
I need to emphasize this point and make it clear.
She may not wear, all kind of fancy clothes
She's not trying to impress anyone by dressing extravagantly.
But what I dig about the little girl
I like and admire certain qualities about her.
Is the way she wrinkles up her cute little nose, Let me tell ya...
I find it endearing and charming that she has this habit.
(And one other, one other thing I wanna say, yeah)
I can't resist adding one more thing about her.
(Spoken testamonial lyrics)...
Here I'm providing a personal anecdote about this girl to illustrate my point.
I remember, yes I remember one morning
I can recall with clarity a particular moment in time.
The girl came a runnin', runnin' to my bedside
This shows how devoted and caring she is.
Don't cha know she came a runnin', She got down,
She was eager to help and took immediate action.
She got down on her knees,
She was willing to physically assist me.
And she said "jackie, I'm gonna wipe your brow"
She wanted to ensure that I was comfortable.
She said, "Jackie darlin', you gotta feel, you gotta feel,
She was reassuring and empathetic.
And I'm gonna make you all right!"
She provided the comfort and care I needed to get better.
She's All Right with me (Let's talk about her one more time,
I want the world to know)...
I want to keep talking about how special she is to me and share it with others.
She's All Right, Yeah, talkin' bout my little baby
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, oooh, (Fade Out)
I simply can't get enough of this girl and want to highlight her greatness.
Contributed by Adrian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.