*Jackie Wilson was one of the great R&B singers of the ’50s and ’60s, responsible for classics such as “Lonely Teardrops” and “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.”
But his life was also one filled with grief, according to iloveoldschoolmusic.com. The site breaks down the highs and extreme lows that the singer endured, such as his 1961 shooting and the death of his three children.
Back in 1961, Wilson was shot and seriously wounded by a female fan in 1961, though he made a recovery, he lost a kidney and the bullet remained lodged close to his spine for the rest of his life. In September 1975, he suffered an on-stage heart attack and lapsed into a coma, suffering major brain damage, and was hospitalized until his death in early 1984, per allmusic.com.
Wilson allegedly had several children, but three of them died at very young ages.
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His Son’s Tragic Murder In 1970
Jackie’s son, Jackie Jr., was the first of his children to die at just 16 years old in 1970. Jr. was brutally murdered when he was shot down in cold blood, right there on Jackie Wilson’s neighbor’s porch. Jr. and the neighbor were allegedly beefin’ over something and unfortunately, their heated argument quickly escalated, leaving Jr. lying dead on the porch.
His Daughter’s Sudden Death In 1977
Sandra Wilson Abrams was the second one of Jackie’s kids to pass away in 1977 at the age of 24. She died from a sudden heart attack.
His Other Daughter’s Tragic Murder In 1988
Jackie’s 37 year old daughter, Jacqueline Wilson, was shot in her back while standing outside of a store in Highland Park, Michigan in August of 1988. It was reported that her shooting and ultimate death was possibly related to a drug related incident. Police said the area she was in was a highly drug trafficked section of the neighborhood.
The site also noted that the 1970 murder of his son, Jackie Jr., is what many believe drove Wilson to turn to drug and alcohol use. He reportedly couldn’t cope with his child’s death, so attempted to ease the pain through self-medication. Sadly, two years after he became comatose, Wilson’s second child was murdered; and 11 years after that, his third child passed away as well.
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