(October 2, 2019) Happy Birthday to Freddie Jackson! It was on this date in 1984 that Hush Productions CEO Charles Huggins and A&R Guru Beau Huggins put Freddie and Barry Eastmond in New York's Celestial Sound Studio (best known as the home studio for Kashif and Paul Laurence Jones) to begin recording Freddie's debut album. It was a birthday present for Freddie with whom we were getting resistance in securing a record deal. At the time I was VP/GM of Hush.
The Barry Eastmond sessions brought forth the timeless "You Are My Lady" as well as other gems including "Love Is Just A Touch Away" "Callin" and "I Wanna Say I Love You". Paul Laurence was vitally important to the discovery of his childhood friend.
Often forgotten is the fact that Freddie recorded a version of the classic “ Good Morning Heartache” for that debut album. My Uncle Al had been the drummer in legendary Sax man Stanley Turrentine’s band (including the classic Up at Minton’s live recording). Uncle Al helped me get Turrentine to record a sax solo on "Heartache". Paul Laurence was vitally important to the discovery of Jackson his childhood friend. Being the smash hit producer he was, he came in with "Rock Me Tonight" and the rest was history!
By Kevin Harewood
