Wilson Pickett
March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006
The great Wilson Pickett was a soul performer and songwriter who would be responsible for some of the genre’s greatest recordings. He began his career in Gospel, but with a flair for showmanship akin to Little Richard and James Brown, it wasn’t long before he made the jump to secular R&B. In 1965, Pickett began recording a series of hits that included, “In the Midnight Hour,” “Land of 1000 Dances,” “Ninety Nine and a Half Won’t Do,” and “Mustang Sally.” His songs have been recorded by the greatest acts in rock music. That list includes Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Los Lobos, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Grateful Dead, to name just a few. Pickett continued to make records well into the ’90s, though his hit-making days ended back in the mid ’70s. And he made concert performances up all the way up until 2004, only to step down due to health reasons. On January 19, 2006, 64 year-old Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack.
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