Millie Jackson (born July 15, 1944) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, producer, and performer known for combining powerful Southern soul vocals with extended spoken passages, sharp humor, and unusually frank commentary on sex, infidelity, independence, and everyday relationships. Her direct, conversational style made her one of the most distinctive voices in 1970s Black popular music and later connected her work to the development of rap and spoken-word performance.
Born Mildred Virginia Jackson in Thomson, Georgia, she moved with her father to the New York area after the death of her mother. As a teenager, she lived in Brooklyn and worked occasionally as a model. Her entry into music came through a performance at Harlem's Smalls Paradise in 1964. After being challenged to sing during a talent contest, she won the competition and began working a series of club dates. Her early stage act already relied heavily on audience interaction and unscripted talk, elements that would become central to her recordings.
Jackson made her first records for MGM in 1970, but her career took shape after she signed with Spring Records. Her first charting single, "A Child of God (It's Hard to Believe)," appeared in 1971. She followed it with "Ask Me What You Want" and "My Man, A Sweet Man," establishing herself as both a strong interpreter and a songwriter willing to address relationships from an outspoken female perspective. "It Hurts So Good," released in 1973, became one of her best-known songs and also appeared in the soundtrack of the film *Cleopatra Jones*.
Her breakthrough album was *Caught Up* (1974), a dramatic concept record about a love triangle. Rather than presenting the story as a conventional collection of songs, Jackson developed it through linked performances, spoken interludes, and shifting emotional viewpoints. Her version of "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" became a signature recording and earned a Grammy nomination. The follow-up, *Still Caught Up* (1975), continued the narrative approach, while albums such as *Free and in Love*, *Feelin' Bitchy*, and *Get It Out'cha System* expanded her mixture of soul balladry, funk, disco, country influence, and comedy. Three of her albums were certified gold in the United States.
Jackson was also an active producer and collaborator. She created and produced the vocal group Facts of Life, whose 1976 single "Sometimes" became a major R&B hit. In 1979, she recorded *Royal Rappin's* with Isaac Hayes, a project that highlighted the theatrical and spoken dimensions of both artists. Her live albums, particularly *Live and Uncensored* and *Live and Outrageous*, documented a performance style that was as much about personality and timing as vocal technique.
After Spring Records closed in 1984, Jackson signed with Jive Records and continued recording, releasing albums including *An Imitation of Love* and *The Tide Is Turning*. She also recorded "Act of War" with Elton John in 1985. In the 1990s, she wrote and starred in the touring stage production *Young Man, Older Woman*, later issuing a cast album. Her subsequent releases included *Rock 'N' Soul*, *It's Over*, *The Sequel: It Ain't Over*, and *Not for Church Folk!*.
Jackson's catalog remains notable for its influence on sexually candid soul, comedy records, spoken-word R&B, and early rap aesthetics. Her work balances vulnerability with confrontation, and her willingness to control the narrative of her songs helped open space for later performers who used music to speak plainly about desire, betrayal, and personal autonomy.