Chuck Jackson | |
Birth Date: | 11 March 1953 |
Birth Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Genre: | Blues |
Instrument: | Harmonica |
Years Active: | 1960's–present |
Associated Acts: | Downchild Blues Band Cameo Blues Band Chuck Jackson and The All Stars The Hogtown All Stars Maple Blues Revue |
Chuck Jackson (born March 11, 1953)[1] is the Canadian musician, lead singer and one of two harmonica players in the Downchild Blues Band, otherwise known as Downchild, with which he has been associated since 1990.
Jackson has been a professional musician since the 1960s, and since the late 1970s primarily as a blues singer and harmonica player.[1] Between 1978 and 1992, he was the lead singer of the well respected Cameo Blues Band, of Toronto, with whom he continues to perform on occasion.[2] In addition to his work with Downchild, Jackson performs and has recorded with a changing group of musicians, which has included Downchild's Michael Fonfara and Pat Carey, as Chuck Jackson and The Allstars.
While Jackson was born in Toronto, for most of his life he has also lived in Port Credit, Ontario. Jackson has demonstrated a particular passion for supporting the Port Credit. In 1999, he co-founded the Southside Shuffle, an annual Port Credit-based blues and jazz festival that has grown to feature in excess of one hundred acts over three days.[3]
Jackson has been honoured with a distinguished career award by the Toronto Blues Society, as well as Maple Blues Awards for male vocalist of the year, among other honours.
Jackson is also the half brother of Canadian comedians Mike Bullard and Pat Bullard.[4] Having battled cancer since 2021, Jackson is still performing and took part in the 2023 Southside Shuffle with the Downchild Blues Band. The city of Mississauga which Port Credit is a part of honoured him for his 25 years of organizing the event.