Freddie Jackson Dead At 69

Freddie Jackson, the R&B singer who produced numerous smooth romantic hits in the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, has died. His family announced on social media that he passed away last night, with no cause of death disclosed. Born Frederick Anthony Jackson in Harlem, he began his musical journey in the neighborhood's White Rock Baptist Church.

There, he met Paul Laurence, who later became his producer and songwriting partner. Jackson initially performed with Laurence's group, LJE, in New York nightclubs, and contributed to demo recordings and Melba Moore's albums. After moving to California, he sang for the funk band Mystic Merlin. However, his breakthrough came when he returned to New York, signed to Capitol, and released "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)."

This single soared to #1 on the R&B chart and reached the top 20 in both the US and UK pop charts. His debut album, "Rock Me Tonight," became platinum, and his 1986 follow-up, "Just Like The First Time," also achieved platinum status. Despite his continued popularity on Black radio from 1985 to 1990, his influence on the Hot 100 declined in the 1990s.

Jackson's distinctive, smooth vocal style epitomized R&B radio before the rise of rap. He appeared in the 1990 crime film "King Of New York" and contributed the duet "Love Survives" with the late Irene Cara to the 1989 animated film "All Dogs Go To Heaven." Although his popularity waned in the 1990s, Jackson persisted as a reference point, with samples of his music appearing in numerous rap songs. His final album, "Love Signals," was released in 2018.