Pickett, Wilson (1941–2006)

US soul singer and songwriter. Known for his punchy, confident delivery, he scored his first big hit with ‘In the Midnight Hour’ (1965). Other pop and rhythm-and-blues hits were ‘Land of 1,000 Dances’ (1966), ‘Mustang Sally’ (1967), and ‘Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You’ (1971).

He joined the gospel group The Falcons in 1959 and signed on to the Atlantic label in 1963. He wrote songs for a range of bands, for example the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Roxy Music, The Jam, and Aerosmith. After he left the Atlantic label in 1973, his star waned.