In the Midnight Hour: The Life & Soul of Wilson Pickett

by Tony Fletcher

Overview

He was the Wicked Wilson Pickett, the legendary soul man whose forty-plus hits included "In the Midnight Hour," "634-5789," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You." Remarkably handsome and with the charisma to match, Wilson Pickett was considered by many to be the greatest, the most visceral and sensual of the classic 1960s soul singers, and as a man who turned screaming into an art form, the most forceful of them all. He was the living embodiment of soul.

More than that, Wilson Pickett's journey reads like a guide to popular black American music in the late 20th century. From the gospel-rich cotton fields of Alabama to the pre-Motown metropolis of Detroit, and throughout his career at Atlantic Records—he was the first artist on that label to record at Stax in Memphis, Fame in Muscle Shoals, and Sigma in Philadelphia, and rehabilitated an exiled Bobby Womack and introduced Duane Allman along the way—Wilson Pickett led the shifts in Rhythm and Blues and soul music.

Pickett's downfall, precipitated by the move towards softer soul and then disco in the 1970s, proved equally dramatic, leading to a heavy alcohol and drug addiction, a reputation for violence and gun use, a no-show for his induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and two jail terms later in the decade. Nonetheless, the "Wicked" Pickett climbed out of these depths to end his career with a Grammy-nominated album before his death in 2006.

For this first-ever accounting of Wilson Pickett's life, bestselling biographer Tony Fletcher interviewed members of the singer's family, friends and partners, along with dozens of his studio and touring musicians. Offering equal attention to Pickett's personal and professional life, with detailed insight into his legendary studio sessions and his combative road style, In the Midnight Hour: The Life and Soul of Wilson Pickett is the essential telling of an epic life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190887827
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2018
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Tony Fletcher is the bestselling author of major biographies on Keith Moon, the Smiths, and R.E.M., as well as a memoir, a novel, and a history of the New York City music scene. Born in northern England, and raised in South London, where he started his own music magazine at the age of thirteen, he emigrated to New York City in the late 1980s. When not traveling with his family, he makes his home near Woodstock in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. A contributor to Salon and the Wall Street Journal, his writing has also appeared in Mojo, Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Spin, and Newsday, and he has contributed to a host of other publications, radio, and television shows worldwide.

Table of Contents

Dedication
Preface

Part I: 1941-1972 Rise
Part II: 1973-1996 Fall
Part III: 1997-2006 Redemption

Sources
Epilogue
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Fletcher's account [...] is enthralling and rigorously researched ... [A] captivating book." —Mark Ellen, The Sunday Times

"Fletcher's vibrant book brings Pickett and his music to glorious life."—Publishers Weekly

"Throughout the book, Fletcher ably explores [the] dichotomy in Pickett's character... [In the Midnight Hour is] a layered portrait of the legendary singer."—Kirkus

"This biography of soul singer Wilson Pickett is distinctive for its voluminous and nonjudgmental accounting of his life, from early childhood on, and of the complex early days of rhythm and-blues recording... In a book remarkable for its copious family research, Fletcher, a true devotee of the music, gives us the complete Pickett, more so than Mark Ribowsky did for Otis Redding, or James McBride has done for James Brown."—Booklist

"[In the Midnight Hour] is biography at its best: anecdotal, comprehensive, captivating and concise."—Shelf Awareness

"Fletcher's brilliant little book shines a light on the good, bad, and ugly of Pickett's life, as it illustrates just how vital his music is to the history of soul and rock and roll."—No Depression

"Tony Fletcher has written the first full biography of Pickett, presenting his story with engaging prose rooted in solid research. "—Shepherd Express

"Journalists who write about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll often find it easier to focus on the sensational aspects of the industry than on the music itself, but Mr. Fletcher... gets it right."—Wall Street Journal

"[A] richly detailed new biography of the singer. This book is a reminder of just how powerful a presence Pickett was, especially throughout the 1960s, as African-American music migrated from churches and black radio stations into the mainstream, and as America itself underwent dramatic social changes."—Seattle Times

"Insightful and informative."-Billy Heller, New York Post

"From his fiery rise to fame to his slow sips to death, Tony Fletcher's In the Midnight Hour captures the essence of soul singer Wilson Pickett and tells a tale that reads with the anticipation of a murder mystery novel... [Fletcher] sets the detailed scene of an era in musical history that is filled with racism, segregation, violence, shady business dealings, and recordings that touched the world."—Chronogram Magazine

"[Tony Fletcher] provides the most complete picture, warts and all, of this singular soul artist-and he doesn't pull any punches... [written] with clarity and a wealth of fascinating information."—Paste Magazine

"Those curious about the dynamic tension that gave one of the great American soul men his unique sound and power will enjoy Tony Fletcher's thorough [book]."—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A compulsory read tinged with tragedy and triumph that resurrects the genius of a forgotten icon."—Alive Magazine

"A vivid, detailed, and insightful portrait."—Popmatters

"Tony Fletcher's research is impeccable, his sources are unimpeachable, and his style is thoroughly engaging."—Arts Fuse

"The unique performer, the complicated man and the brute bully all come together in one here. Wilson Pickett gets his R-E-S-P-E-C-T in book form, finally."—Houston Press

"[In the Midnight Hour] has a subtle way with modern American history, and character, as well as great character studies of Duane Allman, James Brown, Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Lloyd Price, Jerry Wexler, and the monumental Bobby Womack."—Woodstock Times

"As any good biography of a musician should, In the Midnight Hour sends us back to the recordings, the best of which have not lost one iota of their power."—New York Times Book Review

"Fletcher offers a detailed and perceptive account of Pickett's life, and his rise and fall within the world of popular music... Fletcher has given us a good understanding of this talented but a flawed man."—IASPM Journal

From the Publisher

…meticulously researched…As any good biography of a musician should, In the Midnight Hour sends us back to the recordings, the best of which have not lost one iota of their power. And Fletcher…has done his best to illuminate the man behind the music.

The New York Times Book Review - Peter Keepnews

08/22/2016
Drawing on interviews with brilliant soul singer Wilson Pickett’s friends and family, as well as several of the studio musicians who worked with him, Fletcher (All Hopped Up and Ready to Go) paints a colorful portrait of Pickett’s life and music. He vividly narrates the singer’s life: poverty in Birmingham, Ala.; moving to Detroit, where his father had relocated for work; Pickett’s early fascination with gospel music; his rise to success with the Stax and Fame studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala.; his decline after he moved to RCA; and the dissolution of his marriage after he assaulted his wife, Dovie. Fletcher creates rich scenes of Pickett’s recording life, especially his work with Stax guitarist Steve Cropper and lyricist Don Covay, as well as his close relationship with Fame founder Rick Hall. Fletcher recreates the night when Pickett recorded “Mustang Sally” at Fame. Keyboardist Spooner Oldham recalls of the take that “everyone knew that was the one, the magic one, and we could never improve upon it.” But the tape had rattled off the spool, and Hall and engineer Tom Dowd had to spend the night meticulously splicing it back together. Fletcher’s vibrant book brings Pickett and his music to glorious life. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

01/01/2017
Wilson Pickett (1941–2006) was a key figure in the creation of soul music in the 1960s. His career spanned many decades and music industry changes with hits including "In the Midnight Hour," "Mustang Sally," "Land of 1000 Dances," and many more. Born in Prattville, AL, to a sharecropper family, he loved hunting but disdained picking cotton. He moved to Detroit as a teen in the mid-1950s. There he went from singing gospel to secular music. All his past, and everything he was came through in his music: his strength, unabashedness, explosiveness, rawness, funk, grit, fierceness, sensuality, and pure soul. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Fletcher, whose books include biographies of Who drummer Keith Moon and R.E.M., has written and researched this book with love, conveyed within the context of the times and industry. Fletcher uses many interviews, archives, and quotes from fellow authors to give readers a picture of a quick-tempered yet dedicated, committed artist and collaborator, who recorded live as much as possible—in many great studios. VERDICT Pickett's energy, creativity, and genius shine in this book. A must-read for Pickett fans, and a promising introduction for those who need a push to hear his music and get converted.—Lani Smith, Ohone Coll. Lib., Fremont, CA

Library Journal

2016-10-05
A biography of soul singer “Wicked” Wilson Pickett (1941-2006).Born in the rural sharecropping community of Prattville, Alabama, Pickett was known equally for his pious upbringing and participation as a singer in his church as well as his rebellious spirit and habit for troublemaking. It would be the latter that would come to define his offstage behavior, but it was his experience singing gospel that would lead to his ascendency as one of the pre-eminent soul singers of his generation. Throughout the book, Fletcher (A Light that Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of the Smiths, 2012, etc.) ably explores this dichotomy in Pickett’s character. Breaking through with such hits as “In the Midnight Hour” and “Land of 1000 Dances,” Pickett was a mainstay on the R&B and pop charts during the 1960s, and he was known for his work ethic in the studio. Outside the studio, however, Pickett earned his “wicked” nickname; he was a notorious womanizer and would often brandish his pistol in anger. One of the most fascinating aspects of Fletcher’s skillful biography is the ongoing subplot of Pickett’s rivalry with James Brown. Whereas Brown evolved his style through the ’60s and solidified his identity around black empowerment, Pickett remained mostly an “interpreter” of other writers’ songs and was largely ambivalent regarding social issues. Pickett’s success would dramatically change in the ’70s following a multirecord deal with RCA. Subsequent album releases would see his sales plummet, and critical responses were unkind. Growing drug and alcohol use made him increasingly unstable, a situation exacerbated by his separation from longtime partner Dovie Hall. In one of the most damning anecdotes related by the author, Pickett insisted his teenage son partake in cocaine with him. His erratic behavior only worsened, including multiple arrests, domestic abuse scandals, and some jail time, before a mild resurrection of his career before his death. A layered portrait of the legendary singer whose self-destructiveness came to overshadow his hits.

Kirkus Reviews