![[Newsletter] We Never Saw Luther and Freddie Together](https://images.beamly.com/fetch/https%3A%2F%2Fsites.beamly.com%2F65e385bcdcfc57fb25f741f6%2Fmedia%2F7b1312782c9e0177e531.jpg?w=1200)
On Show #245, DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray go back to 1985 Harlem and New York for Freddie Jackson's debut album, Rock Me Tonight, which spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's R&B albums chart. Recorded after his death on October 5, 2026, the episode looks at his road from church singer to Quiet Storm star, a Ron G mixtape blend, and why he and Luther Vandross never shared a stage.
In this issue...
The story behind “Rock Me Tonight”
Freddie Jackson was born in Harlem on October 2, 1956, and died on October 5, 2026, days after turning 70. Before going solo he sang with the funk band Mystic Merlin and worked as a background singer for Melba Moore. His debut album Rock Me Tonight, released on Capitol in April 1985, held No. 1 on the R&B albums chart for 14 weeks. The title track topped the R&B singles chart for six weeks, and "You Are My Lady" followed it to No. 1. His longtime friend Paul Laurence wrote and produced the title track, and the album became a benchmark for '80s Quiet Storm.
Song of the Week: a DJ Ron G blend of Freddie Jackson’s “You Are My Lady”
DJ Sir Daniel picks a mixtape blend by DJ Ron G, the New York DJ known for laying R&B vocals over hip-hop beats. Sir Daniel uses it to make the case for what DJs added when they blended R&B with hip-hop on mixtapes.
Insider Exclusive Drop: Luther and Freddie
In a free Guest List video, DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray ask why Luther Vandross and Freddie Jackson were never seen together. Both started in New York, both came out of gospel, and they shared collaborators, yet they never appeared publicly side by side. The video is free with a Guest List sign-up here.
Garifuna music's next generation
Rolling Stone profiled young Garifuna musicians in New York, including Bronx musician Gogo Norales and DJ Wavy Fox, who blend punta and paranda with jazz, funk, hip-hop and dancehall. According to the piece, they have taken up the work of keeping the culture alive since Honduran Garifuna star Aurelio Martínez died in a plane crash in March 2025.
Read the full issue below.