- Jackie Trivia: He was born in 1934 in Detroit, Michigan.
- Jackie Trivia: As a teenager, he was a successful Golden Gloves boxer.
- Jackie Trivia: As a teen, he practiced singing with a local group which included Levi Stubbs, later lead singer of the Four Tops. Known then as the Royals, they later evolved as Hank Ballard and the Midnighters.
- Jackie Trivia: He first gained fame with the group Billy Ward and his Dominoes, which he joined in 1953, replacing lead singer Clyde McPhatter. .
- Jackie Trivia: He worked for many years with the Dominoes, especially in Las Vegas, before white audiences. His only recording success with the group(1956), St Therese of The Roses, reached #13 on the Pop charts.
- Jackie Trivia: Going solo in 1957, He joined manager Al Green.
- Jackie Trivia: In 1957, Jackie released his first solo single, Reet Petite.
- Jackie Trivia: His first major hit, Lonely Teardrops, was released in 1958.
- Jackie Trivia: Wilson was known by the moniker "Mr. Excitement" for his ability to wow audiences.
- Jackie Trivia: He scored his last major hit in 1967 with Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher.
- Jackie Trivia: In 1961 and married at the time, he was shot by a female acquaintance whom he had been seeing on the side. He lost a kidney, and carried a bullet with him to his grave in 1984.
- Jackie Trivia: Misfortune dogged him all his life. He lost his home to the IRS, his longtime wife divorced him due to his extramarital affairs, and his son, aged 16, was killed in 1970 during a fight with a neighbor in Detroit.
- Jackie Trivia: Jackie collapsed on stage in 1975.
- Jackie Trivia: After spending eight years in a coma, Jackie Wilson died on January 21, 1984, at a hospital in Mount Holly, New Jersey. He was only 49 years old.
- Jackie Trivia: Wilson was well respected as a performer. 1,500 people, many of whom were celebrities in their own right, attended his funeral. Penniless, he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in his hometown, Detroit.
