Freddie Jackson, the R&B singer behind “Rock Me Tonight” and “You Are My Lady,” has died at 69. His family announced the death on Instagram on Tuesday.

Jackson died on Monday, Oct. 5, just days after his birthday. The family did not give a cause of death. He had revealed a kidney disease diagnosis in 2024 and worked with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness.

Born in Harlem, Jackson sang in church before moving to California with the funk band Mystic Merlin. His demo tapes, made with childhood friend Paul Laurence, won him a deal with Capitol Records.

He ruled R&B radio in the mid-1980s. “Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)” spent six weeks at No. 1 on the R&B chart in 1985. “You Are My Lady” also topped the R&B chart and reached No. 13 on the Hot 100.

He started the 1990s with the chart-topper “Do Me Again.” His final album, “My First Love,” came out in 2023.

“Freddie was more than a legendary voice,” his family said. “That gift will live on forever.”