Jackie Wilson: A Heart-Stopping Performance
Jackie Wilson, also known as “Mr. Excitement,” was famous for his feverish live performances in the 1950s and ‘60s. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer, who sang To Be Loved and the 1967 classic Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher, gave his all during his performances – with splits, jumps, and vocal acrobatics.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
And on one fateful day, that meant giving his life. On September 29, 1975, as he performed Lonely Teardrops at a New Jersey nightclub, Wilson collapsed. He suffered a heart attack, went into a coma, and never recovered. He died at the age of 49, after spending eight years in a coma.