Introduction
Chuck Jackson (born July 22, 1937) is an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961. His hits include "I Don't Want to Cry," "Any Day Now," "I Keep Forgettin'", and "All Over the World".
He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Career
Between 1957 and 1959, he was a member of The Del-Vikings, singing lead on the 1957 release "Willette." After leaving them, he was "discovered" by Luther Dixon when he opened for Jackie Wilson at the Apollo Theater. He signed a recording contract with Scepter Records subsidiary Wand Records. "I Don't Want to Cry," his first single, which he co-wrote (with Luther Dixon) and recorded in November 1960, was his first hit (released in January 1961). The song charted on both the R&B and pop charts. In 1962, Jackson's recording of the Burt Bacharach-Bob Hilliard song "Any Day Now" became a huge hit and his signature song. His popularity in the 1960s prompted him to buy the time on his contract from Scepter and move to Motown Records. There he recorded a number of successful singles, including "Honey Come Back." He later recorded for All Platinum and other labels, but with minimal success.
After meeting producer/composer Charles Wallert at the Third Annual Beach Music Awards, the two collaborated to record "How Long Have You Been Loving Me" on Carolina Records.
In 1998, Jackson teamed with longtime friend Dionne Warwick to record "If I Let Myself Go", arranged as a duet by Wallert for Wave Entertainment. The recording received critical acclaim and charted at number 19 on the Gavin Adult Contemporary Charts. Jackson followed with "What Goes Around, Comes Around", another Wallert production and composition, and reached number 13 on the Gavin Charts.
Legacy
Several of Jackson's songs later became hits for other artists, including Ronnie Milsap, whose 1982 cover version of "Any Day Now" reached No. 1 on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts, and Michael McDonald, who covered "I Keep Forgettin'" with much success. "I Keep Forgettin'" also was covered by David Bowie in his album Tonight, and a version produced by Phil Spector for the Checkmates, Ltd.. Jackson was close friends with political strategist Lee Atwater. He appears in the documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story.
Australian pop-rock band Big Pig recorded a cover to "I Can't Break Away", simply titled "Breakaway", which was used as the opening theme to the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. The song was covered in 2007 by house music singer Inaya Day.
On 4 October 2015, Chuck Jackson was inducted into the Official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
His song "Hand it over" was featured on the 2019 Video Game Far Cry New Dawn
Awards
- 1992: Rhythm and Blues Foundation, Pioneer Award
- 2009: Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame, Joe Pope Pioneer Award
Singles
| Year | Single (A-side, B-side) |
Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US
|
US R&B
| |||
| 1957 | "Woke Up This Morning" |
Non-album tracks | ||
| 1959 | "Willette" |
|||
| "Come on and Love Me" |
||||
| 1960 | "I'm Yours" |
91 | ||
| 1961 | "I Don't Want to Cry" |
36 | 5 | I Don't Want to Cry! |
| "(It Never Happens) In Real Life" |
46 | 22 | Any Day Now | |
| "Mr. Pride" |
91 | Non-album tracks | ||
| "Never Let Me Go" |
||||
| "I Wake Up Crying" |
59 | 13 | I Don't Want to Cry! | |
| "The Breaking Point" |
Any Day Now | |||
| 1962 | "What'cha Gonna Say Tomorrow" |
|||
| "Any Day Now" |
23 | 2 | ||
| "Come on and Love Me" |
Non-album tracks | |||
| "I Keep Forgettin'" / | 55 | Any Day Now | ||
| "Who's Gonna Pick Up the Pieces" | 119 | |||
| "Getting Ready for the Heartbreak" |
88 | Encore! | ||
| "I'm Yours" |
Non-album tracks | |||
| 1963 | "Tell Him I'm Not Home" |
42 | 12 | Encore! |
| "Tears of Joy" / | 85 | Mr. Everything | ||
| "I Will Never Turn My Back on You" | 110 | 29 | Non-album track | |
| "Any Other Way" |
81 | 47 | Chuck Jackson's Greatest Hits | |
| 1964 | "Hand It Over" |
92 | 13 | Non-album tracks |
| "Beg Me" |
45 | 5 | Chuck Jackson's Greatest Hits | |
| "Somebody New" |
93 | Mr. Everything | ||
| "Since I Don't Have You" |
47 | 18 | ||
| 1965 | "I Need You" |
75 | 22 | |
| "Something You Got" |
55 | 10 | Saying Something | |
| "If I Didn't Love You" |
46 | 18 | Mr. Everything | |
| "Can't Let You Out of My Sight" |
91 | Saying Something | ||
| "I Need You So" |
98 | |||
| "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait" |
105 | Non-album tracks | ||
| 1966 | "I'm Satisfied" / | 112 | Saying Something | |
| "Please Don't Hurt Me" | ||||
| "All in My Mind" |
Tribute to Rhythm and Blues | |||
| "These Chains of Love" |
Non-album track | |||
| 1967 | "Hold on I'm Coming" |
91 | 20 | Hold on We're Coming! |
| "Need You There (to See Me Through)" |
Non-album track | |||
| "Daddy's Home" |
91 | 46 | Hold on We're Coming! | |
| "Hound Dog" |
Dedicated to the King! | |||
| "C.C. Rider" |
Hold on We're Coming! | |||
| "Shame on Me" |
76 | 40 | Chuck Jackson's Greatest Hits | |
| 1968 | "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You" |
94 | Chuck Jackson Arrives! | |
| 1969 | "Are You Lonely for Me Baby" |
107 | 27 | Goin' Back to Chuck Jackson |
| "Honey Come Back" |
43 | |||
| "Baby I'll Get It" |
Teardrops Keep Fallin' on My Heart | |||
| 1970 | "Let Somebody Love Me" |
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| 1971 | "Pet Names" |
Non-album tracks | ||
| 1972 | "Cold Feet" |
|||
| "The Man and the Woman" |
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| 1973 | "I Only Get This Feeling" |
117 | 35 | Through All Times |
| "I Can't Break Away" |
62 | |||
| 1974 | "Maybe This Will Be the Morning" |
|||
| "Take Off Your Make Up" |
Non-album track | |||
| 1975 | "Love Lights" |
Needing You, Wanting You | ||
| "I'm Needing You, Wanting You" |
30 | |||
| 1976 | "If You Were My Woman" |
Non-album tracks | ||
| 1977 | "One of Those Yesterdays" |
|||
| "I Fell Asleep" |
||||
| "We Can't Hide It Anymore" | ||||
| 1978 | "When the Fuel Runs Out" |
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| 1980 | "I Wanna Give You Some Love" |
90 | I Wanna Give You Some Love | |
| "After You" |
||||
| 1989 | "Relight My Fire" |
Non-album tracks | ||
| 1997 | "If I Let Myself Go" |
I'll Never Get Over You | ||
| 2010 | "I Only Get This Feeling" |
Non-album tracks | ||
Discography (selected)
Albums
- 1961: I Don't Want to Cry! (Wand WDM-650)
- 1962: Any Day Now (Wand WDM-654)
- 1963: Encore! (Wand WDM-655)
- 1964: Chuck Jackson on Tour (Wand WDM-658)
- 1965: Mr. Everything (Wand WDM-667)
- 1965: Saying Something, with Maxine Brown (Wand WDM-669)
- 1966: A Tribute to Rhythm and Blues (Wand WDM-673)
- 1966: A Tribute to Rhythm and Blues, Volume 2 (Wand WDM-676)
- 1966: Dedicated to the King (Wand WDM-680)
- 1967: Greatest Hits (Wand WDM-683)
- 1967: Hold On, We're Coming, with Maxine Brown (Wand WDM-678)
- 1967: The Early Show, with Tammi Terrell (Wand WDM-682)
- 1968: Chuck Jackson Arrives (Motown)
- 1969: Goin' Back to Chuck Jackson (Motown)
- 1970: Teardrops Keep Falling on My Heart (Motown)
- 1974: Through All Times (ABC)
- 1975: Needing You, Wanting You (All Platinum)
- 1977: The Great Chuck Jackson (Bulldog)
- 1980: After You (EMI America)
- 1980: I Wanna Give You Some Love (EMI America)
- 1994: Chuck Jackson (Platinum Pop)
- 1994: Encore/Mr. Everything (Kent-UK)
- 1998: Smooth, Smooth Jackson (Sequel Records)
- 2005: I'll Take Care of You, with Cissy Houston (Shanachie Entertainment), re-issue of the 1992 album
Singles on Tamla Motown (UK)
- TMG651 "Girls Girls Girls" / "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You"- 7"
- TMG729 "Honey Come Back" / "What Am I Gonna Do Without You" - 7"