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Courtesy Brunswick RecordsHe passed away in 1984, but now, late, legendary singer Jackie Wilson will finally receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Mr. Excitement” will be honored with the 2,672nd star on the Walk on September 4 at 11:30 a.m. PT. The star will be located at 7057 Hollywood Boulevard.
Motown legend Smokey Robinson and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. will be on hand to help unveil the star, and Wilson’s widow, Harlene Harris Wilson, will accept in her late husband’s honor. You’ll be able to watch the ceremony via WalkofFame.com.
Detroit native Wilson replaced Clyde McPhatter as the lead singer of Billy Ward and his Dominoes, before going solo with his debut single “Reet Petite,” co-written by Berry Gordy Jr. He went on to score some two dozen top 40 singles, including “Lonely Teardrops,” “Baby Workout” and his best-known hit, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” which was used by Barack Obama as a campaign song.
After suffering a heart attack onstage in 1975, Wilson slipped into a coma. Although he briefly recovered in 1976, he returned to a semi-comatose state and finally died of complications from pneumonia in 1984. He was 49.
Wilson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Wilson was name checked by Van Morrison in his song “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile),” by The Commodores in their song “Nightshift,” and by John Mellencamp in his hit “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”
When Michael Jackson won the Grammy for Album of the Year for Thriller in 1984, he dedicated the award to Wilson.
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