Albert J. Jackson Jr. (November 27, 1935 – October 1, 1975) was an American drummer, producer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, a group of

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

s who worked for

Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in September 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. ...

and produced their own

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

s. Jackson was affectionately dubbed "The Human Timekeeper" for his drumming ability. He was posthumously inducted into the

Memphis Music Hall of Fame The Memphis Music Hall of Fame, located in Memphis, Tennessee, honors Memphis musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert is held each year in Memphis. Since its establishment in 2012, the Hall of Fame has ...

in 2015, and the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

as a member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s in 1992.

Early life

Jackson's father, Al Jackson Sr., led a jazz/swing dance band in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. The young Jackson started drumming at an early age and began playing on stage with his father's band in 1940, at the age of five. He later played in producer and trumpeter Willie Mitchell's band and at the same time was holding down a chair in the popular Ben Branch Band. In an interview with ''

Drum! ''Drum!'' is an American educational drumming magazine. It features artist profiles, product reviews, lessons and advanced transcriptions covering rock, pop and related styles of music. The magazine was launched in 1991 with Andy Doerschuk as ed ...

'' magazine, Mitchell recalled,

Al Junior was about 14 years old then. I said to his father, 'Hey, let's use your son!' He said, 'Oh, man, he can't play this stuff!' But he did make the gig. He set up his kit – a cymbal, a snare drum, and a bass drum – and I kicked the thing off. And, man, that thing went off at 20 tempos! But that was around 7:00 o'clock. And by the time Al Senior came in an hour later, at 8:00 o'clock, Al Jackson Jr. was swinging that damn band like a pro.

Future bandmates

Steve Cropper Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as ...

and

Donald "Duck" Dunn Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax R ...

first heard Jackson playing in Mitchell's band at the Flamingo Room, and the all-white Manhattan Club. Mitchell had also hired Booker T. Jones for his band. It was Jones who suggested Jackson be brought to

Stax Stax can refer to: * StAX, (Computer Programming) Streaming API for reading and writing XML in Java * Stax Ltd, a Japanese brand of electrostatic headphones * Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, ...

. He said, "You guys need to know about Al." Dunn said that Jackson almost caused his wife to divorce him, because after finishing his own gig at one o'clock, he would stop by a club to hear Jackson and would get home at four or five in the morning; "He was that good!" said Dunn. At first, Jackson was reluctant to join Stax. He felt he could make more money playing live than doing session work. He wanted a guaranteed regular salary to come over to Stax (although he continued to play on sessions produced by Mitchell for Hi Records). And so he became the first Stax session musician to be on a weekly salary.

Career

At Stax, Jackson formed the M.G.'s with Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper and Lewie Steinberg (later to be replaced by Duck Dunn). During his tenure at Stax, he became one of the most influential drummers in the history of recorded music, providing an instantly recognizable backbeat behind the label's artists, including

Rufus Thomas Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was an American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels, including Chess Re ...

Carla Thomas Carla Venita Thomas (born December 21, 1942) is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is best known for her 1960s recordings for Atlantic and Stax including the hits " Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)" (1960) ...

Eddie Floyd Eddie Lee Floyd (born June 25, 1937) is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s, including the No. 1 R&B hit song " Knock on Wood". Early life and education Floy ...

Sam & Dave Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 until 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was Sam Moore (1935–2025) and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was Dave Prater (1937–1988). Nicknamed "Double Dynamite", " ...

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

and blues guitarist

Albert King Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and ...

(whose work Jackson also produced). In the 1970s, he co-wrote and played on several hits by

Al Green Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), known professionally as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer. He is best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Tired of ...

, including " Let's Stay Together" and " I'm Still in Love with You", at Hi, and he was also a session drummer for many artists, such as

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for having several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me ( ...

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock a ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

, Jean Knight,

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

, Major Lance,

Ann Peebles Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American retired singer and songwriter who gained popularity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s while signed to Hi Records. Her most successful singles include " I Can't Stand the Rain", which s ...

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...

Shirley Brown Shirley Brown (born January 6, 1947, West Memphis, Arkansas) is an American R&B singer, best known for her million-selling single " Woman to Woman", which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975. Biography Brown was born in West Memphis, bu ...

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto" ...

and

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

. In 1975, four years after the release of their last album, ''

Melting Pot A melting pot is a Monoculturalism, monocultural metaphor for a wiktionary:heterogeneous, heterogeneous society becoming more wiktionary:homogeneous, homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture; an alternative bei ...

'', the members of Booker T. & the M.G.'s decided to wrap up their individual projects and devote three years to a reunion of the band. A few months later, Jackson was murdered in his home.

Death

On September 30, 1975, Jackson was scheduled to fly from Memphis to Detroit, to produce a Major Lance session, when he supposedly heard a reminder on the radio about the

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was known for ...

–

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

fight that night. Jackson called Detroit to delay the session, saying he was going to watch the "

Thrilla in Manila Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III, billed as the ''Thrilla in Manila'', was the third and final professional boxing match between undisputed champion Muhammad Ali, and former champion Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. ...

" on the big screen at the Mid-South Coliseum. Though still legally married, Jackson was estranged from his wife, Barbara Jackson. In July 1975, his wife had shot him in the chest, but he decided to not press charges. He was in the process of filing for a divorce and intending to move to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, so that he could begin working with

singer and songwriter William Bell. Jackson attended the screening with

and

Terry Manning Terry Don Manning (December 29, 1947 – March 25, 2025) was an American recording engineer, record producer, musician and photographer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he worked with Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top, the ...

. After the screening, he returned home to find intruders in the house. Reportedly, he was told to get down on his knees, and was fatally shot five times in the back. Around 3 A.M. on October 1, Barbara Jackson ran out in the street, yelling for help. She told police that burglars had tied her up and shot her husband when he had returned home. Police found nothing out of place in the house, and Jackson's wallet and jewelry were still on him. The man believed to have pulled the trigger had reportedly known someone in Memphis. After robbing a bank in Florida, that person told the alleged triggerman to meet him at Al Jackson's house. Tracked through Florida, to Memphis, and to Seattle, Washington, the suspected murderer, the boyfriend of Barbara Jackson's friend Denise LaSalle, was killed by a police officer on July 15, 1976, after an unrelated gunfight.

Equipment

For recording Jackson typically used various combinations of Ludwig and Rogers drums and

Zildjian The Avedis Zildjian Company, simply known as Zildjian (), is a musical instrument manufacturer specializing in cymbals and other percussion instruments. Founded by the ethnic Armenian Zildjian family in the 17th-century Ottoman Empire, the com ...

cymbals. Two studio kits played by Jackson are on display in museums; a Ludwig kit (with a Rogers Powertone snare drum) from

in the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, and a Rogers kit (with a Ludwig Acrolite snare drum) from Hi Records in the Stax Museum. According to

, as quoted in ''Give the Drummer Some!'' by Jim Payne, a grey pearl Rogers floor tom was used in the mix 'n' match kit at Stax.

Collaborations

With The Rance Allen Group * ''A Soulful Experience'' (Truth Records, 1975) With William Bell * ''The Soul of a Bell'' (Stax Records, 1967) * ''Bound to Happen'' (Stax Records, 1969) * ''Relating'' (Stax Records, 1974) With

* ''Woman to Woman'' (Truth Records, 1974) With Booker T. & the M.G.'s * '' Green Onions'' (Stax Records, 1962) * '' Soul Dressing'' (Stax Records, 1965) * '' And Now!'' (Stax Records, 1966) * '' In the Christmas Spirit'' (Stax Records, 1966) * '' Hip Hug-Her'' (Stax Records, 1967) * '' Doin' Our Thing'' (Stax Records, 1968) * ''

Soul Limbo ''Soul Limbo'' is the seventh studio album by the American R&B band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released in 1968 on Stax Records. The album was the first Stax LP issued after the label severed its ties with former distributor Atlantic Records in 1 ...

'' (Stax Records, 1968) * '' UpTight'' (Stax Records, 1969) * '' The Booker T. Set'' (Stax Records, 1969) * '' McLemore Avenue'' (Stax Records, 1970) * ''

'' (Stax Records, 1971) With

* '' 461 Ocean Boulevard'' (RSO Records, 1974) With

Delaney & Bonnie Delaney & Bonnie was an American duo of singer-songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg ...

* ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

'' (Stax Records, 1969) With

The Emotions The Emotions are an American soul/ R&B vocal group from Chicago. The group started out in gospel music but transitioned into R&B and disco music. The Emotions were named by VH1 as one of the 18 most influential girl groups of all time. Hist ...

* '' Sunshine'' (Stax Records, 1977) With

* '' Knock on Wood'' (Stax Records, 1967) With

* '' Young, Gifted and Black'' (Atlantic Records, 1972) With Alan Gerber * ''The Alan Gerber Album'' (Shelter Records, 1971) With

* '' Green Is Blues'' (Hi Records, 1969) * '' Al Green Gets Next to You'' (Hi Records, 1971) * '' Let's Stay Together'' (Hi Records, 1972) * '' I'm Still in Love with You'' (Hi Records, 1972) * '' Call Me'' (Hi Records, 1973) * '' Livin' for You'' (Hi Records, 1973) With

* ''

'' (Atco Records, 1971) With

* ''

Born Under a Bad Sign ''Born Under a Bad Sign'' is the second compilation album by American blues musician Albert King, released in August 1967 by Stax Records. It features eleven electric blues songs that were recorded from March 1966 to June 1967, throughout fiv ...

'' (Stax Records, 1967) * ''

Years Gone By ''Years Gone By'' is the third studio album by Albert King, released by Stax Records in 1969. In the same year, the album reached number 46 on ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' R&B Albums chart and number 133 on Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 20 ...

'' (Stax Records, 1969) * '' The Blues Don't Change'' (Stax Records, 1974) With

* '' In the Midnight Hour'' (Atlantic Records, 1965) * '' The Exciting Wilson Pickett'' (Atlantic Records, 1966) With David Porter * ''Victim of the Joke? An Opera'' (Enterprise Records, 1971) With

* '' Raised on Rock / For Ol' Times Sake'' (RCA Records, 1973) With

* ''

Pain in My Heart Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with ...

'' (Atco Records, 1964) * '' The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads'' (Volt Records, 1965) * '' Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul'' (Volt Records, 1965) * '' The Soul Album'' (Volt Records, 1966) * '' Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul'' (Volt Records, 1966) * '' King & Queen'' (Volt Records, 1967) * '' The Dock of the Bay'' (Volt Records, 1968) With

* ''

Will O' the Wisp Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

'' (Shelter Records, 1975) With The Soul Children * ''Genesis'' (Stax Records, 1972) * ''Friction'' (Stax Records, 1974) With

The Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American Gospel music, gospel, soul music, soul, and Rhythm and blues, R&B singing group. Pops Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group w ...

* ''Soul Folk in Action'' (Stax Records, 1968) With

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel music, gospel singer and civil rights activism, activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving memb ...

* ''

'' (Volt Records, 1969) * '' Only for the Lonely'' (Volt Records, 1970) With

* '' Atlantic Crossing'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1975) * '' A Night on the Town'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1976) With

* ''Memphis Queen'' (Stax Records, 1969) * ''Love Means...'' (Stax Records, 1971) With

* '' Just as I Am'' (Sussex Records, 1971)

References

Cited sources

External links

Al Jackson Jr. page – funkydrummer.com
* * *''Soulsville USA: The Story of Stax Records'' by Rob Bowman
Al Jackson Jr. tribute page – DrummerCafe.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Al 1935 births People murdered in 1975 American session musicians Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee People murdered in Tennessee Deaths by firearm in Tennessee Murdered African-American people American murder victims Booker T. & the M.G.'s members African-American drummers American funk drummers Rhythm and blues drummers Soul drummers Bongo players Conga players Maracas players American tambourine players Güiro players 20th-century American drummers American male drummers American blues drummers 20th-century American male musicians Drummers from Tennessee Hi Rhythm Section members