500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Jackie Wilson, 'Lonely Teardrops'

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Jackie Wilson, 'Lonely Teardrops'

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Writers: Berry Gordy, Gwen Gordy, Tyran Carlo
Producer: Dick Jacobs
Released: Nov. '58, Brunswick
21 weeks; No. 7

One of the first hits written by Motown founder Gordy, "Lonely Teardrops" set Wilson’s pleading vocals over Latin rhythms. At a New Jersey casino in September 1975, Wilson collapsed from a heart attack on stage in the middle of singing "Lonely Teardrops" — right at the line "My heart is crying." He sank into a coma and died in 1984.

Appears on: The Greatest Hits of Jackie Wilson (Brunswick)

•The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Jackie Wilson