Chuck Jackson (July 22, 1937 – February 16, 2023) was an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961. His hits include “I Don’t Want to Cry,” “Any Day Now,” “I Keep Forgettin'”, and “All Over the World”.
Jackson was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1937. He grew up in Latta, South Carolina, where he sang in a gospel group, until moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at age 13.
Between 1957 and 1959, he was a member of The Del-Vikings, singing lead on the 1957 release “Willette.” After leaving them, he was “discovered” by Luther Dixon when he opened for Jackie Wilson at the Apollo Theater. He signed a recording contract with Scepter Records subsidiary Wand Records. “I Don’t Want to Cry,” his first single, which he co-wrote (with Luther Dixon) and recorded in November 1960, was his first hit (released in January 1961). The song charted on both the R&B and pop charts. In 1962, Jackson’s recording of the Burt Bacharach-Bob Hilliard song “Any Day Now” became a sizable hit and his signature song. His popularity in the 1960s prompted him to buy the time on his contract from Scepter and move to Motown Records. A decision he later commented upon as “one of the worst mistakes I ever made in my life” There he recorded a few successful singles, including “Honey Come Back.” He later recorded for All Platinum and other labels, but with minimal success.
After meeting producer/composer Charles Wallert at the Third Annual Beach Music Awards, the two collaborated to record “How Long Have You Been Loving Me” on Carolina Records.
In 1998, Jackson teamed with longtime friend Dionne Warwick to record “If I Let Myself Go”, arranged as a duet by Wallert for Wave Entertainment. The recording received critical acclaim and charted at number 19 on the Gavin Adult Contemporary Charts. Jackson followed with “What Goes Around, Comes Around”, another Wallert production and composition, and reached number 13 on the Gavin Charts.
Jackson died on February 16, 2023, at the age of 85.
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