Singer. He gained fame as a R&B, pop, and soul singer as well as a composer. He was dubbed "The Wicked Pickett" by radio DJ's and fans for his gruff power, raw groove and growling energy he brought to R&B music for over four decades. He first performed in the gospel harmony group, "The Violinaires" in the 1950s and became a member of "The Falcons" in 1959. Their hit single "I Found a Love" helped Pickett make a deal with Atlantic Records and to hook up with renowned record producer Jerry Wexler at Stax Records. At Stax with Steve Cropper, the guitarist in Booker T and the M.G.'s, he co-wrote "In the Midnight Hour," an August of 1965 number one R&B hit as well as peaking at number 21 on the Pop Billboard Hits. In 1966, he followed it up with the classic hit, "Mustang Sally" and a cover of "Land of 1000 Dances." In 1967 he released of the hit singles, "Funky Broadway" and the telephonic hit "634-5789." By the early 1970s, he had released several cover hits to include: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles and "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies. His last hit song was "Fire and Water" in 1972. Through the 1980s, he continued to be a popular figure performing for jazz and soul music showcases. In 1991, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Award nomination for his album, "It's Harder Now" in 1999, which also received three W.C. Handy Awards, the in-genre trophy for blues and soul recordings. On January 18, 1999, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award. For the film "Blues Brothers 2000," he performed at the Los Angeles and New York premieres of the movie.
Singer. He gained fame as a R&B, pop, and soul singer as well as a composer. He was dubbed "The Wicked Pickett" by radio DJ's and fans for his gruff power, raw groove and growling energy he brought to R&B music for over four decades. He first performed in the gospel harmony group, "The Violinaires" in the 1950s and became a member of "The Falcons" in 1959. Their hit single "I Found a Love" helped Pickett make a deal with Atlantic Records and to hook up with renowned record producer Jerry Wexler at Stax Records. At Stax with Steve Cropper, the guitarist in Booker T and the M.G.'s, he co-wrote "In the Midnight Hour," an August of 1965 number one R&B hit as well as peaking at number 21 on the Pop Billboard Hits. In 1966, he followed it up with the classic hit, "Mustang Sally" and a cover of "Land of 1000 Dances." In 1967 he released of the hit singles, "Funky Broadway" and the telephonic hit "634-5789." By the early 1970s, he had released several cover hits to include: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles and "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies. His last hit song was "Fire and Water" in 1972. Through the 1980s, he continued to be a popular figure performing for jazz and soul music showcases. In 1991, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Award nomination for his album, "It's Harder Now" in 1999, which also received three W.C. Handy Awards, the in-genre trophy for blues and soul recordings. On January 18, 1999, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award. For the film "Blues Brothers 2000," he performed at the Los Angeles and New York premieres of the movie.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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