Ten Reasons Why Wilson Pickett Was Cool

R&B/soul singer Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack on Thursday at age 64 in a Reston, Virginia hospital near his home. He had suffered through health problems for the last year.

Here at ChartAttack, instead of mourning a musician's death, we prefer to celebrate his or her life. Here are 10 reasons why Wilson Pickett was cool:

1. People called him "Wicked Pickett."

2. Unlike many of the biggest R&B/soul stars of the '60s, Pickett wrote or co-wrote many of his own hits, including "In The Midnight Hour."

3. "In The Midnight Hour" has been covered by The Jam, Tom Jones, Echo & The Bunnymen, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Rivers, Roxy Music, Rufus Thomas, Johnny Thunders, Jackie Wilson, The Young Rascals, Mary Wells, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Martha Reeves, The Chocolate Watchband, The Chambers Brothers and John Holt — all of whom are cool.

4. Pickett covered The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar," which means that Andy Kim made some money from him.

5. Pickett joined The Falcons as a teenager and sang their 1962 hit, "I Found A Love." The Falcons also included Eddie Floyd (who wrote the classic "Knock On Wood" and "634-5789," which Pickett later had a major hit with) and Sir Mack Rice (who wrote another of Wilson's big solo hits, "Mustang Sally").

6. Pickett recorded at the Stax and Muscle Shoals Studios with some of the top session musicians ever, including guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and organist Booker T. Jones.

7. Many people consider Pickett's version of The Beatles' "Hey Jude," which he recorded with guitarist Duane Allman, to be better than the original.

8. Although Pickett didn't appear in The Commitments, the film focused on a struggling Dublin soul band's comedic efforts to meet and perform with him.

9. Pickett was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1991.

10. Pickett wasn't just compared to James Brown because of their musical similarities. He also lived life on the edge and toured around the world almost non-stop until health problems forced him to retire.

—Steve McLean

Jimi Hendrix Psychedelic Flying V On Show

The Gibson Custom division have launched the ‘Inspired
By’ series limited-edition collection of

guitars inspired by and built to the exact specifications of some of the
most innovative guitarists of all time. The Jimi Hendrix, Peter Frampton, John
Sykes and Kiefer Sutherland (No! Really ?!?) models are among the offerings.

 

The ‘Inspired By’ guitars are all handmade instruments crafted by Gibson’s
famous Custom Shop, featuring one-of-a-kind looks, style, and tone. The Jimi
Hendrix Psychedelic Flying V will be on display throughout NAMM at the Gibson

Guitar Booth. In addition to the guitar, guests will have a chance to view
rare Hendrix memorabilia on loan from Experience

Music Project. The mythical Jimi Hendrix Psychedelic Flying V, purchased in
1967 and used on tour in Europe during 1967 and 1968 with its swirling,
psychedelic designs, highlights the spirit of the times and showcases Jimi’s
unique artistic expression.

Originally painted by Hendrix with what appears to be nail polish, the Custom
Shop has used materials which reproduce the same sense of depth and texture.

 

The new Peter Frampton Inspired By model has a two-piece body unlike standard
Les Paul Junior and Special models. It features three single-coil P-90 pickups,
each of which has a dedicated volume control. The middle pickup can be blended
in with (or isolated from) the rhythm and treble pickups as desired and a master
toggle switch functions as it would on a two-pickup guitar.

 

The Gibson Custom Shop say that meticulously recreating Jimi’s guitar and
designing the new Peter Frampton model has been a labor of love for them. All of
the materials and hardware are faithful reproductions of the original on each
model. From initial wood selection to final assembly the Gibson Custom Shop
exceeds every expectation and remains faithful the history of the finest guitars
in the world.