Freddie Jackson, the bestselling singer and fixture of ’80s R&B, has died. He was 69.
A statement from Jackson’s official social media accounts said on Tuesday that the singer died Oct. 5. While it did not list a cause of death, Jackson had suffered kidney disease in recent years.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Freddie Jackson, who went home to rest last night,” it said. “Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he had. For decades he gave us the songs that became the soundtrack to our love stories, our celebrations, and our most treasured memories. That gift will live on forever.”
Jackson, born in New York, got his start in music singing gospel before moving to California to perform with the ’70s funk band Mystic Merlin. He went solo in the early ’80s, releasing his debut, “Rock Me Tonight,” in 1985. Known for his debonair poise and emotive vibrato, the singer’s “Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)” and “You Are My Lady” went to No. 1 on the R&B charts. They sent the album platinum and earned him Grammy nominations for best new artist and R&B vocal performance. Its follow-up, 1986’s “Just Like the First Time,” yielded three R&B No. 1 singles, including “Tasty Love,” “Have You Ever Loved Somebody” and “Jam Tonight.”
Always a lively interview, Jackson told The Times in 1988 that “I grew up in Harlem, eating collard greens and fried chicken. That’s not learned soul, it’s not acquired in some singing school or from copying what you hear on records. I live soul. That’s what you hear in my music or in the music of any black singer.”
His chart run continued through the end of the decade, and he sang a memorable duet with Irene Cara, “Love Survives,” for the 1989 film “All Dogs Go To Heaven.” He continued to release albums, 14 including a Christmas and covers record, until his final LP, 2018’s “Love Signals.”
While he longed for the kind of fame and commercial success that came to acts like Whitney Houston and Lionel Richie (Jackson appeared as himself in Abel Ferrara’s 1990 noir film “King of New York”), Jackson was steadfast in his commitment to Black soul as its own art form.
“I listen to certain artists who have crossed over and wonder how they could do that to themselves, how they could have turned their soulful music into vanilla,” he told The Times. “The thing is, they have to sit and listen to that music themselves. I don’t know how they can. Sure, you make some sacrifices, but you don’t ruin your music, you don’t strip all the soul off it.”
“Look at all the black singers who were able to cross over to the pop market without selling out — Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Al Green and some others,” he continued. “They were pop stars on their terms. That’s the way I want to do it.”
In 2024, after receiving his kidney disease diagnosis, Jackson said in a public statement that “This journey has had its challenges but I’ve decided to face it with openness and resilience. It’s important to me that I share this with you, not just as a part of my personal story, but as a way to make a positive difference.”
