A velvet-voiced R&B star whose love songs became wedding staples has died.
Freddie Jackson, the Grammy-nominated singer behind “You Are My Lady,” died Monday night, Oct. 5, 2026, at the age of 70, his family said.
He died three days after his 70th birthday, and his family posted a statement Tuesday, Oct. 6, to the singer’s official Instagram account. No cause of death was provided.
The Instagram announcement opened, “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.”
“Freddie was more than a legendary voice,” the statement said. His relatives remembered him as kind and generous, and said he loved his fans, his family, his friends and his music.
The family called his decades of songs the soundtrack to listeners’ love stories, celebrations and most treasured memories. They said they would share arrangements and ways to honor his legacy in the coming days. A funeral was held Monday, Oct. 19, at Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem.
A Debut That Held R&B’s Top Spot for Six Weeks
Jackson built his name on “Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)” and “You Are My Lady,” two fixtures of 1980s radio carried by his velvet baritone. Born Frederick Anthony Jackson, he grew up in Harlem and sang gospel from an early age at White Rock Baptist Church.
He spent his early years on the New York club scene, then headed out West with the funk band Mystic Merlin in the late ’70s before coming back home. His 1985 debut album, “Rock Me Tonight,” made him a star almost on arrival.
The title track spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, and the album hit No. 1 on the R&B albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album platinum.
“You Are My Lady,” also from the debut, became his signature song. It reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest pop placement of his career, and it has stayed in permanent rotation at weddings and engagements.
The song also brought him the only two Grammy nominations of his career in 1986, for best new artist and for best male R&B vocal performance. His 1987 follow-up, “Just Like the First Time,” went platinum as well.
That album produced three No. 1 R&B singles: “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. He teamed with singer Irene Cara in 1989 on “Love Survives,” produced by Michael Lloyd, for the “All Dogs Go to Heaven” soundtrack.
Jackson released more than a dozen albums in all, among them “Time for Love” in 1992. He stayed a mainstay of the Billboard charts and a fixture of urban radio through the ’80s and early ’90s.
The Kidney Diagnosis He Chose to Share Openly
Jackson told his followers in September 2024 that he had been diagnosed with kidney disease, in a video posted to his social media accounts. “This journey has had its challenges but I’ve decided to face it with openness and resilience,” he said in the clip.
He added that he wanted to share the news as a way to do some good. He announced a partnership with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness of the illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than one in seven American adults have chronic kidney disease, and that as many as nine in 10 do not know they have it. The condition damages the kidneys’ ability to filter blood, which leads to a buildup of excess waste and fluid and to other problems, such as heart disease.
The National Kidney Foundation said it was deeply saddened to learn of his death. “His battle with kidney disease touched many lives, and his courage will not be forgotten,” the group said in a social media statement.
He Kept Performing Into 2026
Jackson never stopped working. He released his final album, “My First Love,” in 2023, and his live sets paired that material with hits audiences had carried for 40 years.
He headlined an 80s Night concert in Fort Worth, Texas, in April. He performed at a Philadelphia winery in June.