Jerome Louis "J.J." Jackson

Who is Jerome Louis "J.J." Jackson?

Jerome Louis Jackson, known as J.J. Jackson, is an American soul/R&B singer, songwriter, and arranger. His singing style is as a belter.

Jackson started out as a songwriter and arranger for "Brother" Jack McDuff, Jimmy Witherspoon, and the Shangri-Las, among others. His songwriting credits include "It's Easier to Cry" for the Shangri-Las, released as the B-side to "Remember" in 1964, and the Pretty Things' 1966 hit single, "Come See Me."

He is perhaps best known for the soul hit "But It's Alright" which, after its 1966 release as the B-side of the single "Boogaloo Baby", became one of the best known dance music tunes of the decade, reaching No. 22 on the Billboard chart. The single was recorded in the United Kingdom, featuring some of Britain's top jazz musicians of the day, including Terry Smith on guitar, Dick Morrissey on tenor sax and John Marshall on drums, and who would later make up his backing band for the following two albums. In 1969, Warner Bros. Records re-released "But It's Alright" as a single after he signed with them. The single peaked at No. 45 on Billboard when it re-entered the chart on March 29, 1969.