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Veteran US soul singer Wilson Pickett has died aged 64 after suffering a
heart attack in Virginia.
His management company said that he had been in poor health for the past
year, and last performed in 2004.
Born in Alabama, Pickett shot to fame in the 1960s, with hits including In
The Midnight Hour and Mustang Sally.
Soul diva Aretha Franklin was among the stars to pay tribute to Pickett. She
called him "one of the greatest soul singers of all time".
She added: "He will absolutely be missed. I am thankful that I got the
chance to speak to him not too long ago."
Soul singer Solomon Burke added: "We've lost a giant, we've lost a legend,
we've lost a man who created his own charisma and made it work around the
world."
He joined a group called The Falcons before embarking on a solo career in
1963, securing a deal with Atlantic Records by 1965.
Pickett moved to Detroit as a teenager, after early beginnings as a gospel
singer in Alabama.
Jerry Wexler, the co-founder of Atlantic Records, called him "Wicked"
Pickett.
Fans and critics admired Pickett for his sensuous, energetic performances.
He moved south, and his hard Memphis sound was in contrast to the smoother
soul hits produced by the Motown label in Detroit.
He often recorded with Booker T and the MGs, the band closely linked to Stax
Records.
He wrote In The Midnight Hour with MGs guitarist Steve Cropper and recorded
it at the Stax studios in Memphis. It brought him overnight success in 1965.
After a string of hits, his career went into decline in the 1970s.
Nevertheless, Pickett had continued performing on a regular basis until he
became ill, and had been inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"He was always in demand," his manager Margo Lewis said. "He last performed
at the end of 2004."
"He did his part. It was a great ride, a great trip," his son Michael Wilson
Pickett told a TV station in Washington.
"I loved him and I'm sure he was well-loved, and I just hope that he's given
his props."