Pickett was born in Prattville, Alabama, on March 18, 1941, and sang in Baptist church choruses. As the fourth of their 11 children, he described his mother, saying to historian Gerri Hirshey: “I get afraid of her now.
In my opinion, she is the worst lady. I once ran away and cried for a week because she used to hit me with anything, including skillets and stovewood. I remained in the woods with my little puppy. Pickett finally relocated to Detroit to live with his father in 1955.
Is Wilson Pickett in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
In 1991, Pickett was honored for his contributions to songwriting and music by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1993. Wilson Pickett was elected to membership in the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2005.
Wilson Pickett was honored with a spot in the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.
Ahmet Ertegun founded the RRHOF Foundation in 1983. He put together a team that includes Jann S. Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone, Seymour Stein, Bob Krasnow, and Noreen Woods, as well as attorneys Allen Grubman and Suzan Evans.
