J.J. JACKSON

J.J. Jackson is the singer-songwriter-pianist-arranger best known for his 1966 rocker, “But It’s Alright.”

He was born Jerome Louis Jackson in the Bronx, NY, on November 8, 1942. He started out as a songwriter and arranger. When he was sixteen, Jackson’s gospel number, “The Lord Will Understand (And Say Well Done),” was recorded by the Black pop star Billy Williams, who released it as a B side.

In 1963, Jackson released his debut single, “Shy Guy” / “Time,” on Crescent Records (distributed by Fantasy). He wrote both sides himself.

Jackson went on to become a songwriter and arranger for the jazz musician, Brother Jack McDuff. His songwriting credits also include “My Mind’s Made Up” (Mary Wells) and “I’ve Come to One Conclusion” (Inez & Charlie Foxx), both co-written with Sidney Barnes. Jackson and Barnes later became staff writers at Sue Records, one of the few Black-owned labels based in New York at the time. They subsequently signed with Red Bird Records and Trio Music Publishing, owned by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Jackson co-wrote “It’s Easier to Cry,” which the Shangri-Las released as the B side of their 1964 hit, “Remember (Walking in the Sand).”

By 1965, Sidney Barnes had emerged as a solo performer. He recorded songs that he had co-written with Jackson, like “I Hurt On the Other Side” and “I Don’t Know Why.”

Jackson co-wrote his signature hit, “But It’s Alright,” with Pierre Tubbs. It was recorded in the UK and initially released (on Calla Records) as the B side of “Boogaloo Baby.” “But It’s Alright” became one of the decade’s best known dance records, hitting #4 on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart and #22 pop in December 1966. Brother Jack McDuff, along with David “Fathead” Newman, recorded an instrumental cover on their 1967 album, Double Barrelled Soul. Eddie Floyd also did the song on his own 1967 album, Knock on Wood.

In 1967, Jackson signed with Loma Records, the R&B subsidiary of Warner Brothers. He released a series of singles on the label, including three that were co-written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy. None sold particularly well, and Loma went out of business in late 1968. The following year, Jackson became a permanent resident of England.

After 1975, his recording career was essentially over. During the 1990s and 2000s, Jackson performed as a member of various “oldies” tours. He was part of the 1999 RKO release, Rock & Roll Legends Live!, credited to “Lou Christie and Friends.” In 2002 and ‘03, Jackson appeared in revues organized by Edwin Cook, formerly of Cornell Gunter’s Coasters.

In 1996, Jackson’s self-titled debut album was reissued in the UK on See For Miles Records. In the US, it came out on Collectables. His 1969 LP, The Great J.J. Jackson, was reissued on CD by Collector’s Choice in 2009.

Contrary to what some believe, J.J. Jackson was not one of MTV’s original veejays in the early 1980s. There is also no connection between Jerome Louis Jackson and Leo Robinson, who moved to Brazil and adopted the stage name J.J. Jackson.

According to the liner notes of his self-titled 1967 Calla album, J.J. Jackson weighed 285 pounds (129 kg).

Charted singles:

“But It’s Alright” (1966) R&B #4, Pop #22
“Four Walls (Three Windows and Two Doors)” (1967) R&B #17
“I Dig Girls” (1967) R&B #19, Pop #83
“But It’s Alright” (Reissue, 1969) Pop #45