Going For The Gold: Freddie Jackson

Still Recording; Still Making the Scene: Freddie Jackson in December 2011 (Cindy Ord Getty Images Entertainment)

Michael Jackson and his clan aren’t the only Jacksons to have found their way to the VIP lounge for gold and platinum artists. Eighties smooth soul singer Freddie Jackson racked up a pair of golds and a pair of platinums during his most successful years.

Freddie Jackson’s first album to go gold was 1985′s Rock Me Tonight. Propelled by four R&B Top 10′s, the album reached #1 on the R&B album charts, hit #10 pop, garnered Jackson a Grammy nod for Best New Artist and went gold (then platinum) within four months of its release.

Jackson’s hot streak continued the following year with his second #1 R&B album, Just Like the First Time. Though his peak on the pop charts was #23, the record still had the legs to make Capitol plenty of scratch, going gold within a few months of release, platinum within 180 days.

Jackson would wrap up the ’80s with two more shiny discs, the back-to-back R&B #1′s Don’t Let Love Slip Away and Do Me Again. Jackson’s pop showings continued to be lower and lower on the chart but his soul audience more than made up the difference. Both albums were million-sellers within 6 months of release.

Read about some more Going for the Gold golden oldies (and not-so-oldies).