RIP Wilson Pickett
Agent45
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http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001882031Save Email Print Most Popular RSS Reprints Soul Legend Wilson Pickett Dies At 64January 19, 2006, 5:10 PM ETJonathan Cohen, N.Y.Soul/R&B legend Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack today (Jan. 19) at a hospital near his Virginia home, according to a spokesperson. He was 64.Born in Pratville, Ala., Pickett moved to Detroit as a teen and joined the Falcons, singing on their 1962 hit "I Found a Love." By 1965, he had signed a solo deal with Atlantic, scoring a No. 21 pop hit with "In the Midnight Hour," which he co-wrote with legendary sessions musician Steve Cropper.A slew of late '60s R&B/soul hits followed, including "Land of 1,000 Dances," "Funky Broadway," "634-5789," "She's Lookin' Good" and "Mustang Sally." As the '70s dawned, Pickett scored three consecutive top 20 pop singles with "Engine Number 9," "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" and "Don't Knock My Love Pt. 1."In all, five of his singles reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. Pickett associated himself with some of the top sessions musicians of the time, and was a frequent visitor to Stax and Muscle Shoals Studios. He even hired the late Duane Allman to play guitar on his 1969 cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude."Pickett recorded regularly into the mid 1980s and was a 1991 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That year, his career was revived thanks to the film "The Commitments," which followed an unknown Irish soul band of the same name pursuing its dream of performing with Pickett. The artist also joined the band for performances at the Los Angeles and New York film premieres.The artist's last studio album, 1999's "It's Harder Now," won WC Handy Awards for soul/blues album of the year and comeback album of the year, while Pickett was named soul/blues male artist of the year.Pickett is survived by his fiance and four children. He will be buried beside his mother Lena in Louisville, Ky.
Comments
one of my all time favorite singers. What a dude.
I'll spin many sides tonight at the Hook-Up and I's soul night.
I just watched some old footage of him. dude owned the stage and had one of the best voices in soul. RIP...
next, you are going to tell me John Candy is no longer with us!
RIP, Wicked Pickett
Pickett's music was instrumental to me become obsessed about soul music.
Dan
What!!!?
R.I.P Mister Pickett
According to Sam & Dave and Gladys Knight Wilson would get all pissed at shows and pull a gun on people and threaten to shoot them all the time.
Wow! that was what i was trying to say in the other thread!
But really though, i remember hearing the mans voice and just being completly and utterly blown away, it was like a thunderbolt. I started listening more and more, then i discovered Otis (does Ryan hear jazz yet?) and from then on i realised you could look at the label and most probably more music on that same label would be similar (dudes i was 10) before i knew it, i was hoarding records like a fiend.
Miz Lenas boy is to this day, one of my favorites. the man was, is and will remain a legend.
A truly dark day for music lovers.
We are losing so many greats we are almost in need of a RIP greamlin, shit is sad.
(this a question I always had in mind but always forgot to ask, so I'll do now :is there any good album by him post 1969 ? )
Wilson Pickett 1941 - 2006 RIP
Wow.
You said it all there, that my friend is a tribute.
not a dry eye in the house.
In 1969, his heyday wasn't over yet! His contract with Atlantic still had a couple more years to go.
But, I'll break it down:
After '69, he had three more Atlantic albums. Don't Knock My Love from 1971 is choice, and slightly funk-inspired. Wilson Pickett In Philadelphia, from 1970 was recorded with the MFSB crew (i especially love "Days Go By," where he bares his soul on a heartbreak ballad). Right On, also from 1970, is a little bit inconsistent, but it has its' moments.
Generally, if Wilson's on Atlantic, then there's no way it's gonna be bad. Some records are better than others, but in general you can trust him. Even when he temporarily came BACK to Atlantic in 1978 (on the Big Tree subsidiary), he cut a decent album, A Funky Situation - worth finding for $5 or less. And his last album (It's Harder Now on Bullseye Blues, ca. 1999) was surprisingly good. I was hoping it would jumpstart his career again like recent albums by Solomon Burke and Betty LaVette, but it wasn't to be.
I'm not a fan of anything he did on RCA, EMI America, Motown or his own Wicked label (or at least what little I've heard of those sides), but there was one hidden gem..."How Will I Ever Know," on Wicked. This was the flip side to "A Man & A Woman" and was probably on his Chocolate Mountain album. Pickett was an underrated ballad singer, and as with "Days Go By," he'll make you cry on this one.
Hope that wasn't too long an answer to the question, but hey, I was a fan...
Thanks for droppin' a gem, pickwick. Now it's time for me to check out L*rry's blog.
R.I.P.
F16 nailed it. Like him, I NEVER get tired of his version of "Land Of 1000 Dances." I gotta agree, his countoff in the beginning is one of the greatest intros of all time. I realized this at the last East Of Edens Soul Party I did, last month at the Hideout. FIRST song I dropped was "1000 Dances" and the whole room came alive...
For obvious reasons, that will probably be my intro music on the 28th, as well.
Thanks P33
I jumped outta bed and recorded 'In The Midnight Hour' and 'Land of 1000 Dances' and did the Pickett scans for the blog. I've been repeating that 2 song CD all morning here at work.
thanks bro', you 've been super-nice as always
anytime, man
Yeap.
His first group included Eddie Floyd and Sir Mack Rice. Then he was embraced by Steve Cropper, Al Jackson, Booker T Jones and Duck Dunn. Off To Muscle Shoals where Duane Allman found inspiration in Pickett's vocals along with Roger Hawkins, David Hood, Barry Beckett and Jimmy Johnson. Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson were always ready to add their horns.
Baby Call On Me (Double L)
I Can't Stop (Double L)
If You Need Me (Double L)
I'm Down To My Last Heartache (Double L)
Toe Hold (Atlantic)
I'm A Midnight Mover (Atlantic)
Night Owl (Atlantic)
Born To Be Wild (Atlantic) (request)
Don't Cry No More (Atlantic)
Closed the night with the FALCONS - I Found A Love (Lu Pine)