--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My idol was Jackie Wilson, and I toured…" description: "\"My idol was Jackie Wilson, and I toured with James Brown.\" — B. J. Thomas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/b-j-thomas-5561_brown_my-idol-was-jackie-wilson-and-i-toured-w_2607163.png" --- # My idol was Jackie Wilson, and I toured with James Brown. ![“My idol was Jackie Wilson, and I toured with James Brown.” quote by B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/b-j-thomas-5561_brown_my-idol-was-jackie-wilson-and-i-toured-w_2607163.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/b-j-thomas-5561_brown_my-idol-was-jackie-wilson-and-i-toured-w_2607163.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/b-j-thomas-5561_brown_my-idol-was-jackie-wilson-and-i-toured-w_2607163.png) > “My idol was Jackie Wilson, and I toured with James Brown.” [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admired Jackie Wilson and shared stage experience with James Brown, highlighting influence of earlier R&B legends on his career. **In simple terms:** He respected Wilson and performed with Brown. Key Takeaway Value mentorship and learn from predecessors. Themes music influence career legacy Mood reflective proud Type biographical inspirational When to use this quote - concert tours - recording sessions - music education - legacy building Key Concepts R&B history artist collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor influences while forging your own style? - What unique contribution can you make to your field? A Different Perspective May overlook personal artistic identity in emulating idols. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brown/) [Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol/) [Idol Jackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol-jackie-1995940/) [Jackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jackie/) [Jackie Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jackie-wilson-392472/) [Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jackson/) [James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/james/) [James brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/james-brown/) [Toured James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toured-james-1995939/) [Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilson/) [Wilson Toured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilson-toured-1995938/) ## Related quotes > [My first concert makes me sound like a real old man. My very first concert was Jackie Wilson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/my-first-concert-makes-me-sound-like-a-real-old-man-my-very-first/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [One of my earliest memories is seeing the bright blue, Epic 45 of Jackie Wilson singing 'Higher and Higher,' and I'd say, 'That one!'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bronagh-gallagher/one-of-my-earliest-memories-is-seeing-the-bright-blue-epic-45-of/) [Bronagh Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bronagh-gallagher/) > [Jackie Wilson said it was Reet-Petite, kind of love you got knock me off my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/jackie-wilson-said-it-was-reet-petite-kind-of-love-you-got-knock-me/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I grew up with the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, but when I was about 12 or 13, I fell in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-grew-up-with-the-grand-ole-opry-on-the-radio-but-when-i-was-about/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [Actually my biggest heroes were the R&B singers like Jackie Wilson and Bobby Bland and people like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/actually-my-biggest-heroes-were-the-r-b-singers-like-jackie-wilson/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [My brothers and I had a gospel quartet, and that was the only music people listened to. But I was already gravitating towards songs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/my-brothers-and-i-had-a-gospel-quartet-and-that-was-the-only-music/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [Doing this James Brown thing for the last couple of days has been ideal. But it's a different kind of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-shear/doing-this-james-brown-thing-for-the-last-couple-of-days-has-been/) [Jules Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-shear/) > [“Think of all the different ways that stories get told. I’m working with the James Brown people on a movie that will end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmir-questlove-thompson/think-of-all-the-different-ways-that-stories-get-told-i-m-working/) [Ahmir Questlove Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmir-questlove-thompson/) > [“Those people obviously don't know who I think I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-wesley-jr/those-people-obviously-don-t-know-who-i-think-i-am/) [Fred Wesley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wesley-jr/) > [I felt Michael Jackson was inspired a little bit more from the elegance of a Fred Astaire. 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Every time I played with him was like a music lesson, and I never thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-shaffer/james-brown-was-my-favorite-my-absolute-idol-every-time-i-played-with/) [Paul Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-shaffer/) > [I was a James Brown junkie as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-reid/i-was-a-james-brown-junkie-as-a-kid/) [L.A. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-reid/) > [A guy like James Brown has walked the walk, talked the talk. I can't disrespect James Brown in any kind of way. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-b/a-guy-like-james-brown-has-walked-the-walk-talked-the-talk-i-can-t/) [Eric B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-b/) ## More by B. J. Thomas > [My dad, God bless him, had his problems and transferred them over to me. He was a huge hero to me, and I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/my-dad-god-bless-him-had-his-problems-and-transferred-them-over-to-me/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [Actually my biggest heroes were the R&B singers like Jackie Wilson and Bobby Bland and people like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/actually-my-biggest-heroes-were-the-r-b-singers-like-jackie-wilson/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [Raindrops' is an American song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/raindrops-is-an-american-song/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining, because I'm free, nothing's worrying me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-m-never-gonna-stop-the-rain-by-complaining-because-i-m-free-nothing/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [I want my music to have a positive effect on people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-want-my-music-to-have-a-positive-effect-on-people/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [I'm an upbeat person, especially when I'm onstage and when I'm involved with my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-m-an-upbeat-person-especially-when-i-m-onstage-and-when-i-m/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [I don't care if people know I'm spiritual, but I'm just a regular guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-don-t-care-if-people-know-i-m-spiritual-but-i-m-just-a-regular-guy/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [Is 'Raindrops' a country song? I think it's a little bit of a stretch, but OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/is-raindrops-a-country-song-i-think-it-s-a-little-bit-of-a-stretch/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [I was attracted to music when I was very young. I got in my first band when I was 15, so that's all I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-was-attracted-to-music-when-i-was-very-young-i-got-in-my-first-band/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [My Dad was just a working man. He was a good man and he loved music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/my-dad-was-just-a-working-man-he-was-a-good-man-and-he-loved-music/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [My Christian faith has sustained me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/my-christian-faith-has-sustained-me/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [I knew all about religion all my life; it just never was real to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-knew-all-about-religion-all-my-life-it-just-never-was-real-to-me/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [Joining the Opry is a dream-come-true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/joining-the-opry-is-a-dream-come-true/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [The only songs I would learn were songs that moved me emotionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/the-only-songs-i-would-learn-were-songs-that-moved-me-emotionally/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [I'm not a traditional country artist, but I do think I'm in the tradition of people like Jim Reeves and Marty Robbins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-m-not-a-traditional-country-artist-but-i-do-think-i-m-in-the/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) [Explore all 100 B. J. Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) ## More Brown quotes > [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. 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It comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsel-korey/it-s-bluesy-rocky-jazz-i-call-it-soul-music-but-it-s-not-james-brown/) [Tinsel Korey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsel-korey/) > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [In the Sacramento of the 1950s, it was as though White simply hadn't had time enough to figure Brown out. 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