Freddie Jackson

Freddie Jackson was an American R&B singer who grew up in Harlem, where he sang gospel at White Rock Baptist Church. After time on the New York club scene and with the band Mystic Merlin, he released his debut album Rock Me Tonight in 1985. It was quickly certified platinum and earned him two Grammy nominations, and his 1987 follow-up Just Like the First Time also went platinum. He was a fixture on the Billboard charts and urban radio through the 1980s and early 1990s, and in 2024 he revealed a kidney disease diagnosis and worked with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness. His family announced on his official Instagram account that he died on October 5, three days after his 70th birthday; no cause of death was given.