July 22: R&B singer Chuck Jackson - "I Don't Want to Cry," "Any Day Now" ("My Beautiful Bird") - is 76-years-old today.

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Chuck Jackson was born on July 22, 1937, in Latta, South Carolina, and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully.

He has performed with moderate success since 1961. His hits include "I Don't Want to Cry," "Any Day Now," "I Keep Forgettin'" and "All Over the World." Between 1957 and 1959, Chuck Jackson was a member of The Del-Vikings, singing lead on the 1957 release "Willette." After leaving the group, he was "discovered" when he opened for soul legend Jackie Wilson at the Apollo Theater. He signed a recording contract with Scepter Records.

After recording as Charles Jackson for the Clock label in 1959 he signed with Wand Records in 1961. His first single, "I Don't Want to Cry,”which he co-wrote, was his first hit. The song charted on both the R&B and pop charts. In 1962, Jackson's recording of "Any Day Now,”the Burt Bacharach-Bob Hilliard classic, became a huge hit,and his signature song.

His popularity in the 1960s prompted him to buy up the time on his contract from Scepter and move to Motown Records. There he recorded a number of successful singles, "Honey Come Back." He later recorded for All Platinum and other labels, but with minimal success.

After meeting producer/composer Charles Wallert at the Third Annual Beach Music Awards, the two collaborated to record "How Long Have You Been Loving Me" on Carolina Records. The song became an instant Beach Music/Shag hit and remains a classic both in the Southeast and the UK.

In 1998 Jackson teamed with longtime friend Dionne Warwick to record "If I Let Myself Go,”arranged as a duet by Wallert for Wave Entertainment. The recording received critical acclaim and charted at number 19 on the Gavin Adult Contemporary Charts. Jackson followed with "What Goes Around, Comes Around,”another Wallert production and composition, and reached number 13 on the Gavin Charts.

Several of Jackson's songs later became hits for other artists, including Ronnie Milsap, whose 1982 cover version of "Any Day Now" reached #1 on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts, and Michael McDonald, who covered "I Keep Forgettin'" with much success.

Jackson was close friends with political strategist Lee Atwater. He appears in the award-winning documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story.

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For more about Chuck, visit his Website at -

http://www.chuckjackson.org/chuckj/

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