I just got a call from a family member that Wilson died this morning at age 65.
No cite yet.
I met Wilson a few times–he was a wild & crazy guy. I’ll miss him. 
DAY-um. Rest in peace, Wicked Pickett. You did the best “Momma Told Me Not to Come” cover ever.
No obituatries online yet, in fact the first site that comes up googling
“Wilson Pickett dies” is a “Dead or Alive?” page that lists him as alive.
Still no obit - not even at the online site of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
I did see a story about Isaac Hayes being hospitalized, though.
I just saw a report on Headline News confirming that he did die.
It’s also on the “Breaking News” banner at CNN.com.
I figured it was definitely true when I heard Q104 play “Mustang Sally” during my drive home. So long, Wicked Pickett.
Damn! I was hoping the reprts of his death were exagerrated!
In addition to “Mustang Sally” and “Midnight Hour”, et al, he did a cover of “Hey Jude” that was one of the few Beatles covers I enjoy more than the Beatles!
He was “wicked” but I know he’s in heaven, signing duets with Otis Redding!
Damn.
One two three! ba-baaaa
One two three! ba-baaaaaaaa…
Ya gotta know how to pony…(ba baaa)
Sorry to hear that. I saw him live once at a Miami hotel during the Christmas season in the early 70s. If there was anyone playing the wrong venue, that was it: lots of gray haired old ladies and middle aged parents with their kids perplexed by the music.
I loved it, of course.
I went to a concert back in (I think) 1966. Get this, the groups were, in order of appearance:
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
The Hollies, and
Wilson Pickett
The Wicked, Wicked Pickett performed all of his hits and rocked the house.
“Feel pretty good, y’all, HUH, haw! Naaa, na, na, na, naaa…!”
For me, he owns that song now, and the Beatles never had anything to do with it.
Wilson also did a “Silent Night” that was amazing. He once did it a cappella solo for me in my office.
Thanks for the responses. I’ve printed out this thread, and a few others, and will forward them to his family. I’m sure they will appreciate it.
The obit mentions the incident with Donald Aronson, then mayor of Englewood. We fell off our chairs laughing over that!
This could be a topic of its own –
His obituary says he was born in Alabama and sang gospel in his church choir. Consider how common that used to be, but how uncommon that kind of background is becoming.
Rock, and R&B, is now 2 generations removed from its roots, which is probably not a good thing.
Are gospel choirs uncommon? I used to attend Mass at a historically black parish, and our choir was quite good, and sang traditional gospel.
I’d guess most black churches try to keep a good choir going, as it is an important part of their services.
It’s not that gospel choirs are uncommon, but that gospel isn’t as much of an influence on the current generation of pop/r&b singers. They’re more likely to have been influence by the previous generation of singers; ie, by Whitney Houston as opposed to Mahalia Jackson.