Chuck Jackson, "Any Day Now" Hitmaker, Passes Away at 85

Wand Management, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Chuck Jackson, the legendary R&B and soul singer known for hits such as "Any Day Now" and "I Don't
Want to Cry," has died at the age of 85.

The sad news was confirmed by Ady Croasdell, of UK-based Kent Records, who wrote on social media: "There are confirmed reports that one of the very greatest soul singers of all time, Chuck Jackson, died on February 16th. His passing will be deeply felt around the world." No cause of death was given.

Jackson had an impressive career spanning over six decades, starting in the 1950s as a member of The Del-Vikings before becoming a solo artist and signing with Wand and Scepter record labels. He released over 30 singles throughout his career, including hits such as "Tell Him I'm Not Home," "Beg Me," and "Since I Don't Have You."

In 1962, Jackson released his most famous hit, "Any Day Now," written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard. The song earned him a contract with Motown Records and was later covered by Ronnie Milsap. Jackson's "I Keep Forgettin'" was also covered by Michael McDonald and David Bowie.

RIP Chuck Jackson

The R&B singer/songwriter charted 23 songs on the #Hot100 in his lifetime. Here are the top-charting ones below:

#23, Any Day Now
#36, I Don't Want To Cry
#42, Tell Him I'm Not Home
#45, Beg Me
#46, (It Never Happens) In Real Life
#46, If I Didn't Love You https://t.co/Fogj6y2aQX

— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) February 21, 2023

Croasdell reflected on Jackson's impressive career and legacy in a statement on Kent Records' official website. "No artist had more releases or titles issued on Kent records than Chuck Jackson," he said. He also credited the company's first compilation featuring Jackson's work, "Mr Emotion" (Kent 033), with helping to revive interest in his Wand recordings, which had largely been forgotten about by the 80s.

In memory of #ApolloLegend Chuck Jackson 🕊❤️ pic.twitter.com/wIZO7kgBgv

— apollotheater (@ApolloTheater) February 22, 2023

"Throughout his career Chuck worked hard with his acclaimed live appearances and he continued to sing in great voice up until quite recently," Croasdell said. "He got a terrific reception at the Great Yarmouth soul weekender in 1990 and appeared around Europe on several occasions afterwards — as well as being in constant demand in his home country."

Dionne Warwick, a friend and collaborator of Jackson's, issued a statement about his death, saying: "Another heartache has come my way. Chuck Jackson has made his transition. He was my label mate on Scepter Records and was like a big brother to me."