Wilson Pickett was an American singer and songwriter.
32 Facts About Wilson Pickett
2.
Wilson Pickett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, in recognition of his impact on songwriting and recording.
3.
Wilson Pickett was born March 18,1941, in Prattville, Alabama, and sang in Baptist church choirs.
4.
The group featured notable members who became major solo artists; when Wilson Pickett joined the group, Eddie Floyd and Sir Mack Rice were members.
5.
Wilson Pickett recorded a demo for a song he co-wrote, "If You Need Me", a slow-burning soul ballad featuring a spoken sermon.
6.
Wilson Pickett sent the demo to Jerry Wexler, a producer at Atlantic Records.
7.
Wilson Pickett was crushed when he discovered that Atlantic had given away his song.
8.
The single's success persuaded Wexler and Atlantic to buy Wilson Pickett's recording contract from Double L in 1964.
9.
Wilson Pickett's breakthrough came at Stax Records' studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he recorded his third Atlantic single, "In the Midnight Hour".
10.
Wilson Pickett recorded three sessions at Stax in May and October 1965.
11.
Wilson Pickett recorded works by other songwriters in this period; Rodger Collins' "She's Lookin' Good" and a new arrangement of the traditional blues standard "Stagger Lee" were Top 40 hits Wilson Pickett recorded at American.
12.
Wilson Pickett returned to Fame Studios in late 1968 and early 1969, where he worked with a band that featured guitarist Duane Allman, Hawkins, and bassist Jerry Jemmott.
13.
In March 1971, Wilson Pickett headlined the Soul To Soul concert in Accra to commemorate Ghana's 14th Independence Day.
14.
Wilson Pickett is featured on the soundtrack album, Soul To Soul, which peaked at No 10 on the Billboard Soul LPs chart.
15.
Wilson Pickett's alcoholism was exacerbated by heavy cocaine use, and he became increasingly violent towards his family and bandmates.
16.
Wilson Pickett co-starred in the 2002 documentary Only the Strong Survive, directed by D A Pennebaker, a selection of both the 2002 Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals.
17.
In 2003, Wilson Pickett was a judge for the second annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.
18.
Wilson Pickett spent the twilight of his career playing dozens of concert dates every year until 2004, when he began suffering from health problems.
19.
In 1991, Wilson Pickett was arrested for yelling threats while drunkenly driving his car over the front lawn of Donald Aronson, the mayor of Englewood, New Jersey.
20.
Wilson Pickett faced charges of drunk driving, refusing to take a breath test, and resisting arrest.
21.
Wilson Pickett agreed to perform a benefit concert in exchange for having the disorderly conduct and property damage charges dropped.
22.
In 1992, Wilson Pickett struck 86-year-old pedestrian Pepe Ruiz with his car in Englewood.
23.
Wilson Pickett agreed to rehab and received a reduced sentence of one year in jail and five years probation.
24.
In 1996, Wilson Pickett was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend Elizabeth Trapp while under the influence of cocaine; she refused to press charges.
25.
Wilson Pickett had been suffering from health problems for the last year of his life and had spent considerable time in the hospital.
26.
Wilson Pickett died at a hospital in Reston, Virginia, after suffering a heart attack.
27.
At the time of his death, Wilson Pickett was living in Ashburn, Virginia.
28.
Wilson Pickett was laid to rest in a mausoleum at Evergreen Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.
29.
Pastor Steve Owens of Decatur, Georgia, presided over his funeral, and Little Richard, a long-time friend of Wilson Pickett's, delivered the eulogy.
30.
Wilson Pickett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
31.
In 2005, Wilson Pickett was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
32.
Wilson Pickett was nominated for five Grammy Awards during the course of his career.