US R&B great Chuck Jackson has died.
The singer was born in North Carolina, performing in local gospel groups before moving to Pittsburgh as a teen. A member of key doo-wop group the Del-Vikings, Chuck Jackson went solo to great acclaim, scoring a string of emphatic hits.
Songs such as ‘Any Day Now’ remains peerless greats in the evolution of soul music, injecting gospel passion into the lust go R&B. With lyrics by Bob Hillard and music by Burt Bacharach – another music great who recently passed away – it changed the course of Chuck Jackson’s career, and set him on the path to greatness.
Renewed success caused Chuck to buy out his contract with Scepter Records, later signing with Motown – curiously, his spell with the Detroit label wasn’t a happy one, with Chuck later calling it “one of the worst mistakes I ever made in my life.
Recording throughout his life, Chuck Jackson’s work was championed by Kent Records in the UK, allowing newer generations to access his music. Songs such as ‘I Keep Forgettin’, ‘Hand It Over’, ‘What’s With This Loneliness’, ‘I’ve Got The Need’ and many, many more are immortal.
News of Chuck Jackson’s passing was confirmed by Kent compiler and 6TS Northern Soul Club DJ Ady Croasdell, who cited “confirmed reports” in an online obituary.
Chuck Jackson died on February 16th – he was 85 years old.
