Departures of note

Freddie Jackson was an American R&B and soul singer from Harlem, New York, who rose to fame in the mid-1980s. Trained as a gospel singer at the White Rock Baptist Church, he began his professional career in the late 1970s singing with the California funk band Mystic Merlin before returning to New York to work with producer and songwriter Paul Laurence. His 1985 debut album Rock Me Tonight topped the R&B chart and went platinum, propelled by the number-one R&B singles "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)" and "You Are My Lady," the latter his biggest pop crossover hit at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

He continued his chart dominance with the platinum follow-up Just Like the First Time (1986), which produced the number-one R&B hits "Tasty Love," "Have You Ever Loved Somebody," and "Jam Tonight," and later scored further R&B chart-toppers including "Hey Lover," "Nice 'N' Slow," and "Do Me Again." Over a career spanning more than three decades he released numerous albums, including It's Your Move, Transitions, For You, and Love Signals, and toured internationally. He also appeared on television, including a guest spot on The Golden Girls, sang the duet "Love Survives" with Irene Cara for the film All Dogs Go to Heaven, and was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best R&B Vocal Performance. He won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Nice 'N' Slow."