Grammy-nominated R&B singer Freddie Jackson, whose velvet baritone turned “Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)” and “You Are My Lady” into fixtures of 1980s radio, died Monday night, Oct. 5, 2026, at 70. His family announced the death in a statement posted Tuesday, Oct. 6, to the singer’s official Instagram account and did not provide a cause.
The family said he died three days after his 70th birthday.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Freddie Jackson, who went home to rest last night,” his family wrote.
“Freddie was more than a legendary voice,” the family statement said. Relatives described a kind and generous man devoted to his fans, his family, his friends and his music. Decades of recordings, they said, had turned into the soundtrack for listeners’ love stories, celebrations and most treasured memories.
The post closed: “Rest in peace, Freddie. Your legacy and your voice will live on forever,” and asked readers to “keep his family, friends, and loved ones in your prayers during this difficult time.” The family said details about arrangements and ways to honor his legacy will be shared in the coming days.
Tributes From Fellow Musicians
Musicians posted tributes in the comments of the family’s Oct. 6 announcement.
“Oh man Freddie one of. The true greats!!!! I had the pleasure of working on a song duet with him and Natalie Cole! Superb!” singer Narada Michael Walden wrote.
Professional wrestler Elijah Burke, known as Da Pope, wrote: “Another Legend Gone…Another Legacy left behind. This sucks! Grateful for the gift he shared with an unforgiving world.”
From Harlem to the Charts
Frederick Anthony Jackson was born and raised in Harlem, and White Rock Baptist Church gave the boy his first stage, where he sang gospel from an early age. The clubs of New York taught him the rest of the trade. He traveled out West with the funk band Mystic Merlin in the late ’70s, then returned home.
His 1985 debut album, “Rock Me Tonight,” turned him into a star almost on arrival. Six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart went to the title track, and the album reached No. 1 on the R&B albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America certified it platinum.
“You Are My Lady,” also from the debut, became his signature. The song reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the highest pop placement of his career — and settled into permanent rotation at weddings and engagements. Voters handed him the only two Grammy nominations he would ever receive in 1986: best new artist and best male R&B vocal performance for the song.
The follow-up, 1987’s “Just Like the First Time,” also went platinum and sent three singles to No. 1 on the R&B charts: “Tasty Love,” “Have You Ever Loved Somebody” and “Jam Tonight.” A fourth single, “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love,” stopped at No. 2. His duet with singer Melba Moore, “A Little Bit More,” also topped the chart.
In 1989 he joined singer Irene Cara on “Love Survives,” a duet produced by Michael Lloyd for the “All Dogs Go to Heaven” soundtrack. Jackson released more than a dozen albums in all, “Time for Love” among them in 1992. Through the ’80s and early ’90s he stayed a mainstay of the Billboard charts and a fixture of urban radio. He continued to release new music until 2019.
Kidney Diagnosis and Final Years
Doctors had diagnosed him with kidney disease, Jackson told followers in a video posted to his social media accounts in September 2024. “This journey has had its challenges but I’ve decided to face it with openness and resilience,” he said. He added that he wanted to share the news as a way to do some good, and he announced a partnership with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness of the illness.
Chronic kidney disease affects more than 1 in 7 American adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, and as many as 9 in 10 do not know they have it. The kidneys lose their ability to filter blood, which allows excess waste and fluid to build up and leads to other problems, such as heart disease.
“My First Love,” Jackson’s final album, arrived in 2023, and his sets paired that material with the hits audiences had carried for 40 years. April brought him to Fort Worth, Texas, as headliner of an 80s Night concert, and a Philadelphia winery hosted him in June.
