Book Review: In The Midnight Hour: The Life & Soul of Wilson Pickett, Tony Fletcher

The title alone is enough to have you singing the eponymous song. Wilson Pickett’s music has guaranteed him immortality, thanks to tracks like ‘Mustang Sally’, ‘Land of 1000 Dances’, ‘Don’t Fight It’ and, of course, ‘In The Midnight Hour’. So why Wilson Pickett’s story not been told till now? As author Tony Fletcher insists in his preface to In the Midnight Hour, it’s not because there’s nothing to tell. The fourth of a family of eleven children, Pickett found his voice thanks to the influence of church music and Little Richard records. The book includes pictures of Pickett’s childhood home and snaps of him recording with Duane Allman, and explores the story of Pickett’s rise to fame and his troubled personal life. Compelling stuff.