[6] Described as "one of the most interesting obscure figures of '60s soul",[7] Jackson, then based in New York,[6][8] started out as a songwriter and arranger.

His first songwriting credit, at the age of sixteen, was "The Lord Will Understand (And Say 'Well Done')", being the B-side to "Got A Date With An Angel", a 1957 single by Billy Williams.

[13] His songwriting credits include Mary Wells' "My Mind's Made Up"[14] and "I've Come to One Conclusion" by Inez and Charlie Foxx,[15][8] both co-written with fellow soul singer Sidney Barnes.

Barnes had previously been a lead writer, producer and talent scout for the recently opened New York office of Motown Records and Jobete Music.

[16] Barnes and Jackson wrote songs for several R & B solo artists of the period, including Sandra Phillips and Billy Prophet, formerly of The Jive Five.

[16] Barnes and Jackson were soon thereafter signed to exclusive contracts with Red Bird Records and Trio Music Publishing, owned by Leiber and Stoller.

[16] "It's Easier to Cry", by the Shangri-Las and released on Red Bird Records, was co-written by Jackson, Joe De Angelis and Robert Steinberg.

[16] Jackson is best known for the soul hit "But It's Alright" co-written with Pierre Tubbs and which, after its 1966 release as the B-side of the single "Boogaloo Baby", became one of the best known dance music tunes of the decade,[20] reaching No.

[21] The song featured some of Britain's top jazz musicians of the day, including Terry Smith on guitar, Dick Morrissey on tenor sax and John Marshall on drums,[13] and who would later form the backing band for Jackson's second and third albums.

[24] Brother Jack McDuff, with David "Fathead" Newman, covered "But It's Alright", as an instrumental version, on their 1967 album Double Barrelled Soul.

[27] Later that year, Warner Bros. also re-released "Four Walls (Three Windows and Two Doors)", which had originally been released in 1967, as the B-side to "That Ain't Right", written by Cherry Foster and Walter Jessup.

This album reunited Jackson with the English musicians who had contributed to the success of "But It's Alright", in 1966, in particular Dick Morrissey and Terry Smith.

She had previously created the cover art for albums by Brother Jack McDuff and Jimmy Witherspoon.

In 1994 and 1995, he performed at the Greek Theatre with other artists, including Chuck Berry, Mel Carter, Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, Len Barry and Rosie and the Originals.

[38] He was included in the 1999 RKO Records release by "Lou Christie and Friends", Rock & Roll Legends Live!, which included performances by Christie and Jackson, as well as Ian Whitcomb, Chris Montez, Jewel Akens, Robert Parker and The Cuff Links[39] In 2002 and 2003, Jackson appeared in revues organized and headlined by Edwin Cook, formerly of the Cornell Gunter version of The Coasters, where others on the bill included Chris Montez, Al Wilson and Otis Day.