Wanda Jackson

Artist’s Website

Wanda Jackson, known as the queen of rockabilly, is a maverick performer whose influence has reached far beyond the genre and cast a long shadow on the history of music. Her trail blazing journey from country to rock n’ roll star, her raucous growl and yelp, her rebellious attitude and her fringed outfits that would shimmy and shake prompted the comment “Elvis Presley was the king (and) there is only one Queen of rock ‘n’ roll, and her name is Wanda Jackson.” Henry Cabot Beck Phoenix New Times.
Wanda Jackson was only halfway through high school when, in 1954, country singer Hank Thompson heard her on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band, the Brazos Valley Boys. By the end of the decade, Jackson had become one of America’s first major female country and rockabilly singers. When Jackson first toured in 1955 she was placed on a bill with Elvis Presley. It was Presley, along with Jackson’s father, who encouraged her to sing rockabilly. Jackson cut the rockabilly hit “Fujiyama Mama” in 1958, which became a major success in Japan. Her version of “Let’s Have A Party,” which Elvis had cut earlier, was a U.S. Top 40 pop hit for her in 1960. A year later she was back in the country Top Ten with “Right Or Wrong” and “In The Middle Of A Heartache.” She was twice nominated for a grammy award. A twenty year break from secular music was followed by the 4-star comeback album “Heart Trouble,” which was called a “rock ‘n’ roll dream, full of raw, sharp performances, killer songs, and Jackson’s irrepressible ability to take even the most innocent song and make it salacious.” With an all-star renegade tribute record also now out on Bloodshot Records called “Hard-Headed Woman: a celebration of Wanda Jackson” it appears this unsung heroine of rock ‘n’ roll is finally getting her due.