JACKIE WILSON -- any foreign trips [[promo or for concerts) ?

[jsmith]

I'm clutching at straws here, as this is NOW a question that must be difficult to get an answer to ...
BG & Billy Davis wrote “Reet Petite” for Jackie , who went to New York and cut the song there. It was released on a 45 [[Brunswick # 9-55024) in early September 57 & was soon breaking out in Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis & San Francisco. An R&B radio hit first, it crossed over onto the US Hot 100 pop chart. . . . HOWEVER, it was a much bigger pop hit in the UK where it made it onto the UK Top 10 over Christmas 57 [[though it seems that “By The Light Of The Silvery Moon” had been the intended A side of the single in both the US & UK). At home, the single's success got Jackie a 4 day engagement at the Club Vogue in Inkster at the start of that November. By the end of that month [[& into December) he was on at the Flame Bar [[his manager owned the place). Christmas Day [[1957) saw Jackie headlining a big show at the Graystone Ballroom, Detroit. His follow up single, “To Be Loved”, escaped in both the US & UK in February 68. It took off quickest in the UK and made the pop charts here in mid March. A British cover version of the song [[by established hit singer Malcolm Vaughn) prevented Jackie's version from repeating the high chart placing his first single had achieved in Britain.
In the US, Jackie was on 'American Bandstand' to promote the 45 at the end of February but it didn't make the US R&B charts until late April. From it's entry onto that chart, it climbed to eventually attain a top 10 placing. It also made the US Hot 100, peaking just outside the Top 20 in June.
Back in the UK, "To Be Loved" had been on the [[pop) Top 30 three times [[people buying the cover version instead hurting it's sales) -- the UK had no R&B / soul chart till much later in the 60's; it wasn't deemed necessary here as R&B + R&R songs were treated the same whether made by a black or white act.
In 1960, two of Jackie's 45's made it onto the pop charts; "All My Love" and "Alone At Last".
So between the start of 1958 and December 1960, Jackie enjoyed 4 UK pop chart hits . . . . . . YET TO MY KNOWLEDGE his 1st actual visit to the UK was in September 72 [[after his mid to late 60's dance tracks had been making the UK pop charts for a period of just over 3 years.
For a US soul artist to have 4 hits in the UK but never to visit here to boost his profile & promote later singles is almost unheard of.
Anyone know why Jackie never came to the UK till 14 years after his initial hit ? . . . I know he was exceptionally popular in the US as a live act, but he did make a trip to JAMAICA in January 1960 [[he also travelled from New York to undertake gigs in California), so he obviously wasn't too afraid of flying.
. . . . I have also never seen reports of him playing gigs in Canada, yet he only had to travel a few miles outside Detroit to be in that country.
Anyone know why Jackie or his manager / record company seemed to be content with him remaining in the US and ignoring 'foreign sales' & opportunities ?
To illustrate that Jackie was the odd one out back then, the following all undertook UK visits / shows in the early 60's; Jimmy Jones, Sammy Davis, the Platters, Big Dee Irwin, Clarence Frogman Henry, Chubby Checker, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ketty Lester, Johnny Mathis, Little Eva, Ray Charles [[he made a movie here too), Bo Diddley, Gary US Bonds, Gene McDaniels, Nat King Cole, Dee Dee Sharp, Brook Benton, the Shirelles, Ronettes, Ben E King, Crystals, Chuck Berry, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Dionne Warwick, Mary Wells, Isley Brothers, Sugar Pie DeSanto, the Soul Sisters, Tommy Tucker, Dixie Cups, Kim Weston, Earl Van Dyke Quintet & more [[+ lots of blues men).

[Graham Jarvis]

Have you read his Book Lonely Teardrops?
All of the cities that Jackie has been to are listed there, including later on Jackie's visits to the UK [Chapter 13] "Beautiful Day" [Jackie's two visits to the UK] and then Chapter 14 "It's all Over".

It you haven't it's a great book!
Probably same as you, as some years trying to find specific documents or newspapers, etc, to add to it.


Attachment 21134

[woodward]

A question for Graham. Please explain the differences between these two books. I have the Lonely Teardrops book by Tony but I recall that the one one the left is next to impossible to locate. Why did Tony publish two books? What are the differences? Thank you. I did see the one on the left for sale some time ago for a greatly inflated price which was substantially more than Lonely Teardrops.

[Graham Jarvis]

Both are basically the same, the original hard copy was issued in 2001[UK], the second version is paperback as it is quite cleverly done as the 2nd version. [Both are identical].

However the paperback has a date of 1997. From 1978 the author commenced an interest in "Black Music" especially Jackie Wilson. Hearing the death of Jackie Wilson's death in Jan 1984 he had no idea of the tragedy. Early in 1994 having searched unsuccessfully for a biography of the star, he would then undertake the task himself and write his first book. That would have been from 1997 to 2001 the first issue.

1997 was the time he commenced his book and not finished? until 2001. The paper book I picked up a copy on line was around 2014 and was 1997 to protect copyright, as no book or hard copy was available at that time. I picked up the original hard copy sometime 2016?

My 2001 hard copy is the first UK publication maybe the US hard copy was from 1997? Never seen one yet?

I have summarised "About The Author"

Plenty Hard Copies & not expensive both US & UK first edition 2001https://biblio.co.uk/book/jackie-wilson-music-mob-douglas-tony/d/1450047682

[jsmith]

Thanks for the info.
Didn't 'The Man, the music, the mob' have to be withdrawn as litigation was pending ?
The revised book replaced it with a few 'facts' removed.