Jackson, Chuck

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Chuck Jackson witnessed first-hand the rise of the city's vibrant doo wop scene. Joining local heroes the Del Vikings, his smooth, commanding voice took the lead on their 1957 single "Willette." Going solo in 1959, Jackson was spotted by producer/Wand Records A&R man Luther Dixon while opening for Jackie Wilson at the Apollo Theater. With Dixon, Jackson co-wrote his first hit, "I Don't Want to Cry." The track featured a lavish band arrangement, a style Dixon had perfected during his sessions with the Shirelles. Together, Jackson and Dixon carefully crafted I Don't Want to Cry! (1961), Jackson's debut LP. A concept album dedicated to songs about crying, it finds Jackson covering mentor Wilson ("Lonely Teardrops") as well as an early Burt Bacharach-Hal David composition ("I Wake Up Crying"). Audibly in command, Jackson's vocals blend seamlessly with Dixon's arrangements, resulting in an astonishingly accomplished album.

In the original liner notes for Chuck Jackson on Tour (1964), Bob King describes Jackson "a man with pent up talent." Consequently, this LP is the sound of that talent erupting all over the stage of the famed Apollo Theater, the same venue where Jackson had been discovered a few years earlier. Jackson leads the airtight band through raw, sweat-soaked versions of his hits "I Wake Up Crying" and "Any Day Now," giving the audience their money's worth and more.