Freddie Jackson, R&B Hitmaker Who Sang on His Own Terms, Dies at Age 69
R&B balladeer Freddie Jackson has died, his family announced on Tuesday, just days after the singer celebrated his birthday. He was 69. “Freddie was more than a legendary voice,” the family said in a statement. “He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he […] The post Freddie Jackson, R&B Hitmaker Who Sang on His Own Terms, Dies at Age 69 appeared first on Capital B News.
Black News 
R&B balladeer Freddie Jackson has died, his family announced on Tuesday, just days after the singer celebrated his birthday. He was 69.
“Freddie was more than a legendary voice,” the family said in a statement. “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.”
A cause of death has not been revealed.
Jackson’s peers in the music industry have mourned him in the hours since his family announced his passing, paying tribute to his voice and his legacy.
“One of the true greats!!!!” the songwriter and producer Narada Michael Walden — who in the 1980s and 1990s worked with Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, and other major music acts — wrote on Instagram. “I had the pleasure of working on a song duet with him and Natalie Cole! Superb! A soundtrack!”
Jackson never achieved quite the same level of mainstream success as some of his Black contemporaries, but he was unapologetic about refusing to dilute his racial identity or change his sound in pursuit of crossover appeal.
“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,” Jackson said in a candid 1988 interview with the Los Angeles 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.”
Even without that level of crossover success, Jackson’s silky voice became a staple in Black households, and he scored a string of hits in the 1980s that shot to the top of the R&B chart. Below are three of his most memorable ones:
“You Are My Lady”
“Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times’ Sake)”
“Have You Ever Loved Somebody”
The post Freddie Jackson, R&B Hitmaker Who Sang on His Own Terms, Dies at Age 69 appeared first on Capital B News.
