Very!
I saw all of them in person, except Sam Cooke, at either The Apollo, The Brooklyn Paramount or (Big Wilt's) Smalls Paradise, sometimes in spectacular shows featuring two or more of these legends.
The Apollo was always the best! Sam & Dave had a couple of horn players that did back flips and we waited through the crappy movie for a SECOND time just to see their show again.
I think Otis was on that bill, as well.
I must say, the last time I saw Jackie Wilson was in Denver,
about three weeks before his debilitating stroke.
He was puffy, looked tired and lacked "excitement," but he had a smokin three piece band comprised of a showbiz drummer, a double strokin guitar player
and a brother playing keys on a Hammond B-3, who kicked the bass with his feet, as well. I was mesmerized by them. Jackie was a shell of his famed former self.
