In the music industry, June is considered Black Music Month, and all month we have been celebrating. In the fifth and final part to the series, "Soul Survivors", YNN's Dean Meminger catches up with New York native Freddie Jackson.

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Unmistakably, the sound of Freddie Jackson. His smash love ballad "You Are My Lady" still hold a special place in the hearts of his fans.

"You know, I think I am old school. This is over 30 years now," said Jackson.

Before he became a successful solo artist, it was already known that Freddie Jackson had a special voice.

"I came from a singing background for Angela Bofield and songs for Mtume on that album, and Glen Jones. I was a background singer," remembered Jackson.

In 1985 he would move out front as the lead singer, releasing his first album, "Rock Me Tonight". His smooth voice and songs continued to climb the R and B charts in the mid 1980s. His success was hard to ignore.

"The first record, 24 weeks, the second record, 26 weeks. That's when Luther Vandross knocked on my hotel door and said I wanted to see who you were," said Jackson.

He said him and Luther became good friends. Both were singers and New York City natives. Jackson said it all started for him as a little kid on 121st Street.

"Harlem, the fire escape, was my first stage," said Jackson. "They used to set me on the fire escape on the fifth floor walk up. On Saturdays other kids were outside playing baseball and a game called loadees and stickball, and all the rest of the stuff. And I was on the fire escape singing."

And all these years later, he's still singing. In 2010 he released an album called "For You".

"Luther said to me a long time ago, he said never record a record that you are not happy with. And so, I'm taking my master's advice, I will not record a record that I am not happy with," said Jackson.

Freddie Jackson said he is still constantly performing and feels blessed to be doing what he loves.