R&B Singer Freddie Jackson Passes Away, Aged 69

Freddie Jackson, the silky-voiced R&B singer known for hits like “Rock Me Tonight” and “You Are My Lady,” passed away on Monday at age 69.

Freddie Jackson, the R&B singer best known for hits like “Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)” and “You Are My Lady,” passed away on Monday, three days after his birthday. He was 69 years old.

His family announced the news on Instagram and Facebook but did not provide a cause of death. However, Jackson revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with kidney disease.

“Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he had,” his family wrote. “For decades he gave us the songs that became the soundtrack to our love stories, our celebrations, and our most treasured memories. That gift will live on forever.”

Jackson was raised in Harlem, where he grew up singing gospel at White Rock Baptist Church. As an adult, he perfected his skill in New York nightclubs before moving to the West Coast in the late 1970s. There, he sang lead with the band Mystic Merlin and recorded three albums.

He released his debut album, Rock Me Tonight, via Capitol Records in 1985. The title track spent six weeks atop the Billboard R&B chart and peaked at #18 on the Hot 100. The second single, “You Are My Lady,” made it to #12 on the Hot 100 and also hit the top spot on the R&B chart. The album earned him two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best R&B Vocal Performance.

In 1986, he had another R&B chart-topping single with “A Little Bit More,” a duet with Melba Moore, from her album, A Lot of Love.

“My heart is broken over the loss of a great singer and even a greater friend, Freddie Jackson,” Moore said. “When we worked together on songs such as our hit, ‘A Little Bit More,’ his sense of humor had me laughing during the sessions. We had such a special relationship. I will forever miss my dear friend.”

Jackson is also remembered for his appearance as a lounge singer in a 1989 episode of “The Golden Girls,” where he serenaded Sophia (Estelle Getty) with “It’s a Small World.” That same year, he also performed “Love Survives,” a duet with Irene Cara, on the soundtrack to the animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven.