Soul Singer, Composer. He was dubbed "The Wicked Pickett" by radio DJ's and fans for his gruff power, raw groove and growling energy he brought to R&B music for over four decades. He first performed in the gospel harmony group, "The Violinaires" in the 1950s and became a member of "The Falcons" in 1959. Their hit single "I Found a Love" helped Pickett make a deal with Atlantic Records and to hook up with renowned record producer Jerry Wexler at Stax Records. At Stax with Steve Cropper, the guitarist in Booker T and the M.G.'s, he co-wrote "In the Midnight Hour," a 1965 number one hit. In 1966, he followed it up with the classic hit, "Mustang Sally" and a cover of "Land of 1000 Dances." 1967 saw the release of the hit singles, "Funky Broadway" and the telephonic hit "634-5789." By the early 1970s, he had released several cover hits to include: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles and "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies. His last hit song was "Fire and Water" in 1972. Through the 1980s, he continued to be a popular figure performing for jazz and soul music showcases. In 1991, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Award nomination for his album, "It's Harder Now" in 1999, which also received three W.C. Handy Awards, the in-genre trophy for blues and soul recordings. On January 18, 1999, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award. For the film "Blues Brothers 2000," he performed at the Los Angeles and New York premieres of the movie.

Soul Singer, Composer. He was dubbed "The Wicked Pickett" by radio DJ's and fans for his gruff power, raw groove and growling energy he brought to R&B music for over four decades. He first performed in the gospel harmony group, "The Violinaires" in the 1950s and became a member of "The Falcons" in 1959. Their hit single "I Found a Love" helped Pickett make a deal with Atlantic Records and to hook up with renowned record producer Jerry Wexler at Stax Records. At Stax with Steve Cropper, the guitarist in Booker T and the M.G.'s, he co-wrote "In the Midnight Hour," a 1965 number one hit. In 1966, he followed it up with the classic hit, "Mustang Sally" and a cover of "Land of 1000 Dances." 1967 saw the release of the hit singles, "Funky Broadway" and the telephonic hit "634-5789." By the early 1970s, he had released several cover hits to include: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles and "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies. His last hit song was "Fire and Water" in 1972. Through the 1980s, he continued to be a popular figure performing for jazz and soul music showcases. In 1991, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Award nomination for his album, "It's Harder Now" in 1999, which also received three W.C. Handy Awards, the in-genre trophy for blues and soul recordings. On January 18, 1999, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award. For the film "Blues Brothers 2000," he performed at the Los Angeles and New York premieres of the movie.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith