NEW YORK — R&B legend Chuck Jackson, who inspired Dionne Warwick and a legion of jazz greats and counted New York’s Apollo Theater as a second home, has died. He was 85.
Jackson, who lived in Atlanta, died on Feb. 16, the website Best Classic Bands reported, citing his granddaughter, Krystina. His death was also confirmed by Ady Croasdell of Ace Records’ Kent Records division, a U.K. label that had been reissuing his recordings. No cause of death was given.
“There are confirmed reports that one of the very greatest soul singers of all time, Chuck Jackson, died on February 16th,” Croasdell wrote on Facebook. “His 60s and 70s recordings are hugely important works, revered as much now as on release.”
One of Jackson’s first major hits, 1962′s “Any Day Now,” was co-written by Bob Hilliard and Burt Bacharach, who died earlier this month at age 94.
Croasdell noted Jackson hits including “I Keep Forgettin’,” “Any Day Now,” “Hand It Over,” “What’s With This Loneliness,” “I’ve Got the Need,” “Tell Him I’m Not Home” and a slew of other compelling tunes. The pieces are mostly about heartbreak or impending breakups and comprise “a marvelous body of work in his name,” Croasdell wrote.
“His passing will be deeply felt around the world.”
Nearly 30 of Jackson’s singles spent time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1960s, according to Best Classic Bands. He was one of the artists featured in the “Apollo Hall of Fame,” a 1993 television documentary.
Jackson was born in South Carolina on July 22, 1937, and grew up in Pittsburgh. He started his career as a member of the doo-wop group the Del-Vikings before going solo.
“Any Day Now” reached no. 2 on Billboard’s R&B chart and was no. 23 on the Hot 100, according to Best Classic Bands. It also became his signature song, according to the R&B Hall of Fame, which inducted him into its ranks in 2016.
Jackson went on to record a number of Bacharach’s songs over the decades.
For Warwick, his passing marked the second major blow in as many weeks. She collaborated closely with Bacharach and recorded duets with Jackson, whom she considered her champion. The two performed a duet, “If I Let Myself Go,” in 1998.
“Another heartache has come my way,” Warwick said in a statement. “Chuck Jackson has made his transition. He was my label mate on Scepter Records and was like a big brother to me.
“I’ll truly miss his daily calls checking on me and his wonderful voice. Rest in heavenly peace, my dear friend.”
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