Now THAT was Rock and Roll

"Boston's back Bay Theater was jammed to capacity, filled with a noisy, enthusiastic throng, out to see the latest of the traveling soul revues. This show promised to be something special, with a rare visit from Roy Hamilton, the urbane crooner of 'Ebb Tide', and an appearance by Jackie Wilson, the man responsible for 'Lonely Teardrops' and 'That's Why'. But as the warm-up acts went through their paces, all was not well backstage; the show's promoter was on the phone jabbering frantically to Roy Hamilton's agent, who had no idea where his singer was. It soon became clear that Hamilton wouldn't show............................................................................................Fearful of the wrath of the fevered crowd if one of the headliners failed to appear, the promoter urgently whispered in Jackie Wilson's ear as he prepared to go on; Wilson, after a moment's pause, agreed. Bounding onstage, he grabbed the mike, spun around and raced into a blistering version of 'That's Why (I Love You So)'. For over an hour, Jackie Wilson played to the screaming audience, teasing the women clustered in front of the stage. Suddenly, in the middle of 'Shake! Shake! Shake!', he jumped into a sea of outstretched arms. With mike in hand, he attempted to sing, but women , clawing ravenously, shredded his shirt. Finally, Wilson's body disappeared. The theater was in turmoil; the audience stretched forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on. After minutes of pushing and shoving, the police escorted Wilson to safety. The lights were turned on and everybody was ordered out. NO ONE MISSED ROY HAMILTON...............................................................................................In his prime, Jackie Wilson was that kind of performer: he could stop a show at the drop of a hat - sometimes without even trying........"................Joe McEwen and Gregg Geller, from the liner notes to "The Jackie Wilson Story"...............................................................................................For those of you too young to remember, Jackie Wilson was probably one of the greatest rock and roll/R and B singers of the 50s and 60s (the fact that he ultimately influenced Michael Jackson, I do not hold against him). His career, while inconsistent (quetionable song selection, his biggest vice) and shortened due to illness (he actually had a heart attack ON STAGE), was something to behold. It included such classics as "Lonely Teardrops", "Baby Workout", "Doggin' Around", "Whispers Gettin' Louder", and, yeah, you got it, folks, "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher)". All this and apparently Jackie was pretty damn good on stage, too. Too bad we all didn't get a chance to see him back then. I, for one, surely would have dug it.