Editing Wilson Pickett (section)

=== Early musical career (1955–1964) ===
Pickett's forceful, passionate style of singing was developed in the church and on the streets of Detroit,<ref name="Wilson Pickett"/> under the influence of recording stars such as [[Little Richard]], whom he referred to as "the architect of rock and roll."

In 1955, Pickett joined the Violinaires, a [[gospel music|gospel]] group. The Violinaires played with another gospel group on concert tour in America. After singing for four years in the popular gospel-harmony group, Pickett, lured by the success of gospel singers who had moved to the lucrative secular music market, joined [[the Falcons]] in 1959.<ref name="Wilson Pickett"/>

By 1959, Pickett recorded the song "Let Me Be Your Boy" with [[The Supremes|the Primettes]] as background singers. The song is the B-side of his 1963 single "My Heart Belongs to You".

The [[The Falcons|Falcons]] were an early vocal group bringing gospel into a popular context, thus paving the way for soul music. The group featured notable members who became major solo artists; when Pickett joined the group, [[Eddie Floyd]] and [[Mack Rice|Sir Mack Rice]] were members. Pickett's biggest success with the Falcons was "I Found a Love", co-written by Pickett and featuring his lead vocals. While only a minor hit for the Falcons, it paved the way for Pickett to embark on a solo career. Pickett later had a solo hit with a re-recorded two-part version of the song, included on his 1967 album ''The Sound of Wilson Pickett''.

Soon after recording "I Found a Love", Pickett cut his first solo recordings, including "I'm Gonna Cry", in collaboration with [[Don Covay]]. Pickett also recorded a demo for a song he co-wrote, "[[If You Need Me]]", a slow-burning [[soul ballad]] featuring a spoken sermon. Pickett sent the demo to [[Jerry Wexler]], a producer at [[Atlantic Records]]. Wexler gave it to the label's recording artist [[Solomon Burke]], Atlantic's biggest star at the time. Burke admired Pickett's performance of the song, but his own recording of "If You Need Me" became one of his biggest hits (No. 2 R&B, No. 37 pop) and is considered a soul standard. Pickett was crushed when he discovered that Atlantic had given away his song. When Pickett—with a demo tape under his arm—returned to Wexler's studio, Wexler asked whether he was angry about this loss. He denied it, saying "It's over".{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|pp=95–96}} Pickett's version was released on Double L Records as his debut solo single and was a moderate hit, peaking at No. 30 R&B and No. 64 pop.

Pickett's first significant success as a solo artist came with "It's Too Late", an original composition (not to be confused with the [[Chuck Willis]] standard of the same name). Entering the charts on July 27, 1963, it peaked at No. 7 on the R&B chart (No. 49 pop); the same title was used for Pickett's debut album, released in the same year. Compiling several of Pickett's single releases for Double L, ''It's Too Late'' showcased a raw soulful sound that foreshadowed the singer's performances throughout the coming decade. The single's success persuaded Wexler and Atlantic to buy Pickett's recording contract from Double L in 1964.