Jackson was born in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1937. He grew up in
Latta, South Carolina, singing in a gospel group, and moved to
Pittsburgh when he was 13. Between 1957 and 1959, he was a member of
The Del-Vikings, singing lead on the 1957 release "Willette". After leaving the group, he was "discovered" by
Luther Dixon when he opened for
Jackie Wilson at the
Apollo Theater. He signed a recording contract with
Scepter Records subsidiary
Wand Records. In 1962, Jackson's recording of the
Burt Bacharach-
Bob Hilliard song "Any Day Now" became a sizable hit and his signature song. His popularity in the 1960s prompted him to buy out the time on his contract from Scepter and move to
Motown Records. He later commented the decision was "one of the worst mistakes I ever made in my life". He recorded a few successful singles including "Honey Come Back" for Motown. Then he 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. In 1998, Jackson teamed with longtime friend
Dionne Warwick and recorded "If I Let Myself Go"; it was arranged as a duet by Wallert for Wave Entertainment. The recording received critical acclaim charting at number 19 on the Gavin Adult Contemporary Charts. Jackson then released "What Goes Around, Comes Around", another Wallert production and composition; it reached No. 13 on the Gavin Charts. ==Legacy==