Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett (born
March 18,
1941) was an American
soul singer who began his career with The Falcons in the early
1960s. He signed as a solo artist with
Atlantic Records and recorded "In the Midnight Hour" (
1965), one of the earliest distinctively soul songs, and perhaps his best-remembered hit.
"Mustang Sally" and "Funky Broadway" followed, though Pickett's biggest pop hit was "Land of the 1000 Dances". By the early 1970s, Pickett had released several more hits, including a cover of The Beatles' "Hey Jude" and a cover of "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies. His last hit song was "Fire and Water" in 1972.