TV One To Premiere Harlem’s Freddie Jackson In “Unsung” Starting January 2, 2012

TV One gets the New Year off to a rockin’ start with ten all-new episodes of Unsung…… its NAACP Image Award-winning series of one-hour biographies celebrating the lives and careers of Harlem’s Freddie Jackson and other successful artists or groups who, despite great talent, have not received the level of recognition they deserve or whose stories have never been told, beginning Monday, January 2 at 10 PM ET.

The full picture of black music in America is a rich kaleidoscope of talented artists and so much bigger than acknowledged superstars and household names like Aretha, Whitney, Stevie and Marvin. Many of the greatest have either failed to achieve that same level of superstardom – or have compelling life stories the details of which have largely remained untold.

The episodes will air weekly on Mondays at 10 PM, repeating at 1 AM with Harlemite Freddie Jackson on January 23, 2011. Freddie Jackson’s soulful ballads are the stuff of velvet sheets, intimate encounters and rose petaled Jacuzzis. With nine number one hits, including ‘Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)’ and ‘You Are My Lady’, Freddie gave voice to sentiments men often struggled to communicate, and women longed to hear.  But super-stardom wasn’t all strawberries and whipped cream. Struggling with his weight since childhood, Freddie found his persona at odds with his ballooning figure, while whispers questioning his sexuality swirled amongst fans. Through the 1980s, Freddie helped catapult the Hush productions sound to the R&B forefront – but when the hits ran out, he found himself facing financial ruin. In this revealing episode of ‘Unsung’, Freddie and his closest collaborators, including Melba Moore and M’lissa Morgan, chart his popular success and his personal struggles.

Others include Bobby Womack, Atlantic Starr, Vesta Williams, Full Force, Millie Jackson , Ray Parker, Jr. , Sheila E., David Ruffin, Whodini.

“There’s no better way for TV One to say Happy New Year to our viewers than with new episodes of Unsung,” said TV One Executive Vice President of Original Programming Toni Judkins. “We are honored that Unsung has become a beloved classic, and are confident that these talented artists and their stories will resonate with our viewers and continue to build on Unsung’s legacy of helping to paint a richer portrait of black music in America.”

TV One (www.tvone.tv)