R&B singer Freddie Jackson has died at the age of 70

American R&B singer Freddie Jackson has died. His family announced the news via his official Instagram account. No cause of death was given. Reports differ on Jackson's age: The Guardian and Hip Hop Wired say he was 70, while The Independent writes that he died three days after his 69th birthday. According to the family, he "went home to rest." More information about memorials and how his legacy will be honored will follow in the coming days.

In the statement, the family describes Jackson as more than a legendary voice. In their words, he was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, family, friends and his music with everything he had. His songs, they say, became the soundtrack to love stories, parties and cherished memories. The family also thanked everyone who ever sang along, danced or felt something when Jackson took the stage.

Jackson grew up in Harlem, raised by a single mother. His musical foundation was gospel: he sang at White Rock Baptist Church. He then built a name for himself on the New York club scene and moved to Los Angeles in the late seventies, where he became the singer of the dancefloor oriented soul group Mystic Merlin. With that group he recorded the album Full Moon. Back in New York, he worked as a backing vocalist for Melba Moore, among others, before landing a solo deal. As role models, he himself named Black singers who made the leap to a pop audience without compromising who they were, such as Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke and Al Green.

His debut album Rock Me Tonight came out in 1985, went platinum and reached the US top ten. The singles Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) and You Are My Lady both landed in the US pop top twenty. For You Are My Lady he received two Grammy nominations, including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. He was also nominated for Best New Artist. The follow up, 1987's Just Like the First Time, also went platinum. Four tracks from it hit number one on the R&B chart, including the duet with Moore, A Little Bit More.

In total, according to The Guardian, Jackson scored ten number one singles and four consecutive number one albums on the US R&B charts. With his smooth, romantic style he was marketed as a "lover man," but he said he didn't want to be boxed in and didn't want to alienate anyone. He was still topping the R&B chart in 1991, but as the genre modernized and hip hop rose, his commercial success faded. He remained a trusted voice on R&B radio and ultimately released fifteen studio albums. Have You Ever Loved Somebody and Jam Tonight are also among his better known songs, and he sang You Are My Lady on the sitcom Family Matters.

In 2024, Jackson revealed in a video that he had kidney disease. He spoke about the challenges of this journey, which he wanted to face with openness and resilience. He later worked with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness of the condition. For fans of classic 80s R&B and soul, including in the Netherlands, one of the most recognizable voices of that era is gone.