Remembering Wilson Pickett: The Industry Reacts

Thursday's passing of legendary soul singer Wilson Pickett is being felt throughout the entertainment community.

"I had the pleasure of working with Wilson Pickett over the years,” legendary Motown Records executive turned television producer Suzanne de Passe told Black Voices Friday morning. “With his passing, we have lost another treasured icon of soul music. He was a dynamic entertainer and was a really cool guy. The Midnight Hour won't be the same without him."

David Nathan, an acclaimed biographer and journalist specializing in soul music, calls Pickett a “certified, bona fide soul man.”

“When I think of the foundation of soul music - which essentially began in the early '60s - I am clear that Wilson Pickett was one of its senior statesmen, a rhythm-and-blues pioneer of the first order,” Nathan shared with Black Voices this morning. “There was no mistaking that soulful growl, that gospel-edged cry, that passion and intensity.”

Via a spokeswoman, Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin called Pickett “one of the greatest soul singers of all time.” “He will absolutely be missed. I am thankful that I got the chance to speak to him not too long ago," she said.

Another entertainer who recently had contact with Pickett was Tito Puente, Jr. – son of the late Latin music legend and an artist in his own right. "I saw the legend Wilson Pickett perform not long ago and it was one of those nights that all performers want to have,” he shared. “The crowd knew every lyric to the hits-- but he had so many he couldn't even do them all! He was soul at its ferocious and wildest and he will be missed by all the people who want truth coming at them from the stage!”

“Like a lot of young Detroit singers trying to get into the business, Wilson came out of the church,” remembers Cornelius Grant, the highly regarded songwriter and musical director who worked with legendary Motown acts in the 1960s and 1970s, most notably The Temptations. “He brought all that fire right down on stage and when we worked with him, he left the stage almost too hot for us to follow. He was one of the few singers that could rival the James Brown scream in intensity and style. Wilson Pickett was a true original.” “His musical legacy speaks for itself and his is a sound that will never be copied or duplicated,” Nathan added. “Right on, Wilson Pickett, right on!”