Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Jackie Wilson Quiz

Answer: Mr. Entertainment

Wilson was affectionately dubbed Mr. Entertainment or sometimes Mr. Excitement by his peers. He shares the nickname Mr. Entertainment with another legendary artist, Sammy Davis Jr.

The Godfather of Soul was one of many nicknames given to James Brown. The Chairman of the Board was none other than Frank Sinatra. The King of Pop is the oft troubled Michael Jackson.

Answer: Clyde McPhatter

Jackie replaced Clyde in 1953 after Johnny Otis took notice of Wilson at a local Detroit talent show. McPhatter had been with Bill Ward but left to form The Drifters, a highly successful act that Ahmet Ertegun signed to his Atlantic Records.

Answer: Doggin' Around

The song "Doggin' Around" was written by Lena Agree. Lena helped write a few other songs performed by Wilson including "Comin' to Your House" and "Nothing but Blue Skies".

Answer: Night

The song "Night" reached number four on the Pop charts in 1960. "Lonely Teardrops" reached number seven in 1959, "Baby Workout" reached number five in 1963 and "My Empty Arms" made it to number nine in 1961.

Answer: Boxing

Wilson was a trouble maker in his younger days, twice being sentenced to the Lansing Correctional Institute. While serving his time, he took to the sport of boxing and eventually became a Golden Gloves boxer in the Detroit area. Wilson did drop out of school at the age of 16, but he ended up making a name for himself locally as a musician and was able to support himself.

Answer: Jackie Wilson was once shot twice by a female acquaintance.

In 1961, Wilson was seeing an ex-girlfriend of Sam Cooke named Harlean Harris, although Wilson was still married to his wife, Freda. As Wilson and Ms. Harris were returning to his Manhattan apartment on the night of February 15. Juanita Jones, who Wilson had been seeing on the side, decided she didn't like being the other woman and escalated the situation with violence by shooting Wilson twice in the back. Wilson lost a kidney due to the incident and doctors could not remove the other bullet which was lodged near his spine. Wilson carried that second bullet with him to his grave.

Answer: His son

Jackie Wilson Jr. was shot and killed in 1970 during a fight with a neighbor in Detroit. The younger Wilson was only 16 at the time of his death.

Answer: Teenage Millionaire

"Teenage Millionaire" was not very well received by critics, although it did feature several performers such as Chubby Checker, Dion DiMucci and even Rocky Graziano.

Answer: Lonely Teardrops

Jackie Wilson was performing in Cherry Hill, NJ as part of Dick Clark's Good Ol' Rock & Roll Tour. During his collapse, Wilson struck his head on the stage, an event that left him in a coma for four months. Wilson never regained his ability to leave the nursing home, nor did he ever speak another word. Wilson stayed in that nursing home for eight years before he finally succumbed to death on January 21, 1984.

It is reported that Elvis Presley and Little Richard provided the financial backing for his daunting medical costs.

Answer: Peter Wolf

Surprisingly, Peter Wolf, of the J. Geils Band fame, inducted Jackie Wilson into the Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987, the third anniversary of his death. Peter Wolf, with so many other performers, acknowledged the debt owed to Wilson for his accomplishments. Unfortunately for Wilson, his life was a tragedy that was marred by family death, failed relationships and a misplaced fortune that resulted in Wilson dying penniless.

Although Wilson was well respected as a performer (1,500 people, many of whom were celebrities in their own right, attended his funeral), his legacy will always be that of a broken man who never fully lived up to the capabilities of such an artist.