He was born on July 22, 1937 in Latta, South Carolina, but was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He was "discovered" when he opened for soul legend Jackie Wilson at the Apollo Theater. He signed a recording contract with Scepter Records. His first single, "I Don't Want to Cry", which he co-wrote, was his first hit (1961). The song charted on both the R&B and pop charts. In 1962, Jackson's recording of "Any Day Now", the Burt Bacharach-Bob Hilliard classic, became a huge hit. He was so successful that in 1967, he bought up the time on his contract from from Scepter and moved to Motown Records. There he recorded a number of successful singles, including "Are You Lonely for Me Baby" and "Honey Come Back." He later recorded for All Platinum and other labels, but with minimal success.
After meeting producer/composer Charles wallert at the Third Annual Beach Music Awards, the two collaborated to record, "How Long Have You Been Loving Me" on Carolina Records. The song became an instant Beach Music/Shag hit and remains a classic both in the Southeast and the UK
In 1998 Jackson teamed with longtime friend, Dionne Warwick, to record ""If I let Myself Go" arranged as a duet by producer Charles Wallert for Wave Entertainment. The recording received critical acclaim and charted at number 19 on the highly competitive Gavin Adult Contemporary Charts. Jackson followed with "What Goes Around, Comes Around, another Charles Wallert production & composition and reached number 13 on the Gavin Charts.
Several of Jackson's songs later became successful hits for other artists; Ronnie Milsap covered "Any Day Now" in 1982, and reached #1 on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts. Michael McDonald had a huge hit with his cover of Jackson's "I Keep Forgettin'".
From Wikipedia
