Rating: 
Summary: Sad story of a brilliant singer, hard to follow
Review: Tony Douglas wrote this book because he found out there was not one biography of Jackie Wilson. He took it upon himself to go to America and interview pretty much all the persons who played a part in Wilson's life and therefore it is well researched and thurough. It is also not a hagiography like many other music-biographies are, he definitely pays attention to the womanizing side and addictiveness of Wilson.
The stories about him in the end of his life as a vegetable but also the death of many of his children are harrowing. But also the early beginning are well covered.
It is however hard to follow sometimes, the chronology sometimes doesnt make sense or is badly constructed, making you sometimes flipping back to see where you are. Another thing is that more years, months and dates could have been used to have a better view of where he was in life.
His friendships with other soul singers are interesting and some things are mentioned that I hadn't read in other books, about Sam Cooke for example. The discography in the back is adequate.
There are not that many biographis on Jackie Wilson so therefore it's worth the read, but maybe someone should take it upon himself to write another wne that can equal Daniel Woolf's 'You Send Me' about Sam Cooke.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitive biography, should be required reading by all fans
Review: Will go down as the definitive work on Jackie Wilson. Tells all; the good, bad and ugly. One learns this great singer was a victim of his environment and the people surrounding him, and was himself a victimizer. While the man certainly could belt out a love ballad, sadly, he had no understanding of, or success at, love. One gains a real sense for the tragedy which seemed to dominate Jackie's off-stage life.The work is well researched, and well written. While it is obvious the author is a true aficianado, he does not pull any punches. Myths are debunked, such as Jackie's "Golden Glove" status. It is somewhat difficult to keep track of all the people who impacted on Jackie personally and professionally. It becomes very confusing at times to keep track of who's who, but I suspect this is how Jackie's life was, not the fault of the author. A highly recommended read for all who admired and still miss the unique talent that was "Mr. Excitement", Jackie Wilson! --David Yaros, Cincinnati, OH
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