Millie Jackson – R&B’s Bold and Charismatic Diva

Performer and trendsetter Millie Jackson is renowned for pushing the envelope and musically breaking down borders with a style that is at times raunchy, sometimes explicit, yet always entertaining.  Millie’s bold approach to music has inspired and fostered many female performers with a sense of empowerment.

Jackson’s exciting career began one night at a New York night club.  She was commissioned to sing after heckling the club’s performer – the performer betting that Jackson couldn’t do any better.  It was then that a star was born.  The audience thoroughly enjoyed Jackson’s performance and she was subsequently hired for a string of gigs.

 

When recording her first single “A Child of God (It’s Hard to Believe),” Jackson drew inspiration from her favorite performers including soulful R&B artists Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Gladys Knight.  Jackson’s first R&B hit was “Ask Me What You Want,” and followed by “My Man, A Sweet Man.”  Jackson’s racy singles put her on the map vocally and gained her attention in Hollywood. Her single “Hurts So Good” was featured in the movie Cleopatra Jones.

Jackson’s career continued to soar as she gained more creative control working alongside Brad Shapiro for her next album which landed her a string of hits including, “Get It Out Cha System,” “Feelin’ Bitchy,” “Hard Times,” “A Moment’s Pleasure,” and “Live and Uncensored.”  Jackson continued to hone her unique sound. incorporating racy language and talking on several tracks — which eventually evolved into rapping.  Jackson’s album ‘Caught Up’ attracted a particularly large following, and resulted in the 1975 single, “ If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want to be Right.”  The single was wildly successful, earning Jackson two Grammy nominations.

In 1985 Millie Jackson also collaborated with Elton John on the single “Act of War.”  Jackson wowed audiences with her undeniable stage presence and landed her the award of ‘Best Concert Performance Award’ by the Los Angeles Reader newspaper.  Jackson has enjoyed incorporating her unique style in covering classic tracks like Merle Haggard’s single, “If You’re Not Back in Love by Monday.”  Jackson’s R&B rendition of the country hit reached the fifth spot on R&B charts.

Millie Jackson continued her exciting career through the late 80’s with several singles earning spots on the Top 100 chart.  Those hits included “Hot! Wild! Unrestricted! Crazy Love,” and “Love is a Dangerous Game.”  Jackson famously took her talent to the stage when she wrote the play, Young Man, Older Woman, which gained a cult following and ran for four years, This step immortalized Jackson as not only a prominent R&B recording artist, but an astute businesswoman and memorable performer.

Jackson’s All Music biography cites Billboard as listing Jackson “one of the top R&B acts to ever record or step onto a stage.” Jackson’s brand of music and bold lyricism has forever changed R&B and allowed her to make a memorable mark in Hollywood. To read more about Millie Jackson visit her website.

Millie Jackson was recognized along with Little Anthony, Michael Henderson, Kathy Sledge, James D Train Williams, and Regina Belle, and celebrity DJs Tom Moulton and Felix Hernandez  in September 2015 by The National Rhythm and Blues Music Society at their annual Black Tie Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony.

[contact-form-7 id=”4″ title=”Contact form 1″]