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.
Stormy Weather
Jackie Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Life is bare
Gloom and misery everywhere
Just can't get my poor old self together
I'm weary all the time, the time
So weary all of the time
When he went away
The blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray
The lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more
Can't go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all of the time
I walk around
Heavy-hearted and sad
Night comes around
And I'm still feeling bad
Rain pourin' down
Blinding every hope I had
This pitter 'n patter 'n beatin' 'n spatterin' drivin' me mad
Love, love, love, love
This misery will be the end of me
When he went away
The blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray
The lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more
Can't go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time, the time
Keeps raining all the time
The song "Stormy Weather" by Jackie Wilson is a heartbreakingly beautiful ballad about a woman's struggle to get over a breakup. The opening lines, "Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather, since my man and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time," set the tone of the song, with the repetitive description of bad weather signifying the character's state of mind. The lyrics continue to express the sadness and despair that the character is feeling, with phrases like "life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere," and "just can't get my poor old self together, I'm weary all the time."
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the character's longing to be reunited with her love: "When he went away, the blues walked in and met me, if he stays away, old rocking chair will get me, all I do is pray, the lord above will let me walk in the sun once more." The lyrics of "Stormy Weather" effectively convey the intense emotional pain associated with a breakup, and how it can feel like a dark cloud constantly hanging over one's head.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't know why
I do not understand the reason for this feeling.
There's no sun up in the sky
The world appears cold and uninviting.
Stormy weather
The turmoil I am feeling inside is reflected in the surrounding climate.
Since my man and I ain't together
The root cause of my despair is a loss of romantic partnership.
Keeps raining all the time
The metaphorical storm continues without end.
Life is bare
Without love and companionship, life feels utterly empty.
Gloom and misery everywhere
My personal struggles are mirrored by the bleak state of the world around me.
Just can't get my poor old self together
I feel incapable of finding inner peace or contentment.
I'm weary all the time, the time
My weariness is a constant presence that I cannot escape.
So weary all of the time
My emotional exhaustion weighs heavily upon me at all times.
When he went away
The catalyst for my pain was the departure of my lover.
The blues walked in and met me
I am overwhelmed by a deep sense of sadness and melancholy.
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
Without my partner, I feel that I have nothing left to live for.
All I do is pray
My only hope for relief is to appeal to a higher power.
The lord above will let me
I believe that divine intervention is necessary for my happiness.
Walk in the sun once more
I long to feel joy and warmth in my life again.
Can't go on
I feel unable to continue living with this level of emotional pain.
Everything I had is gone
The loss of my partner has left me feeling completely emptied out.
I walk around
I am aimless and lost as I try to make sense of my emotions.
Heavy-hearted and sad
My heart feels swollen and burdened with sorrow.
Night comes around
The darkness feels all-encompassing, amplifying my feelings of despair.
And I'm still feeling bad
Despite my efforts to find peace, my emotional state remains bleak and disheartening.
Rain pourin' down
The physical manifestation of the storm represents the deluge of emotions that I am experiencing.
Blinding every hope I had
The weight of my negative emotions has made it difficult to hold onto any hope for the future.
This pitter 'n patter 'n beatin' 'n spatterin' drivin' me mad
The unrelenting sound of the rain feels like an assault on my senses, pushing me towards madness.
Love, love, love, love
The only antidote to my despair is the love that I am currently missing.
This misery will be the end of me
If I cannot find a way to overcome my emotional pain, it may consume me completely.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, S.A. MUSIC
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Catrinia Smith
What I love about Jackie is he can and will sing any style of music. He was before his time. A lot of artist today are just embrassig this concept. He took all that God gifted to him and just exploded on us dancing singing. I love you Jackie Wilson!
Marji Colt
WOW!!! THIS PRETTY BABY SURE COULD CRY! FOR MANY YEARS LENA'S VERSION WAS A FAVORITE OF MINE. I DON'T RECALL A MALE VERSION UNTIL I HEARD JACKIE SING IT. IT'S GREAT-NOT JUST FROM A MALE PERSPECTIVE, BUT BECAUSE JACKIE SANG EVERYTHING WITH RAW EMOTION. WHAT A WONDERFUL SELECTION, MANY THANKS.
monica bella
Thank you very much for posting this fantastic version. Equal to Etta James.
monica bella
I must correct: Jackie becomes before Etta
Sheila Davis
@monica bella Monica Bella sho nuff rite ☺🎼💞🎵
PATRICIA MISSIE
JACKIE WILSON HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE SINGER OF ALL TIMES. SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL. I LISTEN TO DANNY BOY OVER AND OVER.
AND HITCH HIKE.
PutOnASweater
Hitch Hike was by Marvin Gaye
Edith Macuer
Lo que cante es maravilloso 😘👏👍🎙🎶❤😘❤❤
56 Ava
And Jackie is the WINNER....who can sing like him? No one!
vrach pediatr
голос неземной красоты