Soul legend Wilson Pickett died on Thursday at the age of 64. The singer, best known for hits like 'In the Midnight Hour' and 'Mustang Sally,' suffered an apparent heart attack at his Virginia home.
According to Chris Tuthill of the management company Talent Source, Pickett had been suffering from serious health problems in the past year.
Fellow music stars quickly released statements in tribute to the man once known as 'Wicked Pickett.'
'A fellow Detroiter, Wilson Pickett was one of the greatest soul singers of all time,' Aretha Franklin said in a statement. 'He will absolutely be missed. I am thankful that I got the chance to speak to him not too long ago.'
Pickett was actually born in Alabama but moved to Detroit as a teenager. His first hit was with the pop group the Falcons in 1962 with the song 'I Found a Love.'
A year later, he went solo, signing with Stax Records and working with legendary producer Jerry Wexler. In 1965, he released 'In the Midnight Hour' which featured Pickett's signature raspy and intense vocals.
Journalist Roger Friedman who was also a friend of Pickett's told the Associated Press, 'He wrote his own songs ... he was very, very musically adept, and look at his contribution — look how many songs of his songs have been covered?'
Pickett hit some rough times later in his life. After disco became popular in the 70s, Pickett’s songs were less commercially successful in the United States. He was later arrested several times on charges ranging from assault to drunken driving.
'If I wasn't in show business I don't know what I would have been — a wanderer or something, you know?' Pickett said during a 2001 interview. 'But God blessed me with the talent and the chance. I knocked on enough doors, and this is what I can give myself credit for.'
