Wanda Jackson

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Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson album cover for Heart Trouble
Wanda Jackson album cover for Heart Trouble
Background information
Birth name Wanda Jean Jackson
Born October 20, 1937 (1937-10-20) (age 70)
Origin Maud, Oklahoma
Genre(s) Rockabilly
Occupation(s) Singer, Songwriter
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar
Years active 1956-Present
Label(s) Decca Records
Capitol Records
CMH Records
Associated acts Elvis Presley, Janis Martin
Website Wanda Jackson Official Site

Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Jean Jackson, 20 October 1937, Maud, Oklahoma) is sometimes called the first female rock and roll singer. She began recording (on the Decca label) in 1954. Jackson signed with Capitol in 1956. In 1960 she saw pop chart success when Capitol re-released her 1958 rendition of "Let's Have a Party." She switched over to Country Music in the 1960s, racking up a few hits there as well. She has often been hailed as the "Queen of Rockabilly".

Contents

[edit] Rise to fame

Jackson was still in high school when country singer Hank Thompson heard her sing on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band. She dated Elvis Presley, who encouraged her to step away from the country-tinged gospel she had been performing since childhood and try her hand at rock and roll. She developed her own distinctive voice and performed in a variety of styles, from folksy traditional tunes to country twang and high yodels to throaty, suggestive ballads.

She was a prolific singer of songs with wry lyrics such as "Fujiyama Mama," a 1957 cover of a song originated by jump blues singer Annisteen Allen in 1955[1][2] which in the original contained references to the World War II bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; [1]

It even became a #1 hit in Japan.  Her biggest hit was "Let's Have a Party" released in 1960.[2]

[edit] Queen of Rockabilly

Jackson achieved great and continuing success throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia, but has never found the same level of fame in her native United States. She toured with rock and roll pioneers such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. She has been nominated for two Grammys, and has been awarded the Oklahoma Native Daughter Award. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the International Hall of Fame, the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, and the German Country Music Hall of Fame, but remains conspicuously absent from the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame.

[edit] Country career

Wanda's first records on Decca Records were country records made with Hank Thompson's band, one of which "You Can't Have My Love", a duet with Hank's bandleader, Billy Gray, made the Top 10 on the country charts in 1954. In 1956, she made her solo debut on Capitol Records with "I Gotta Know" which made a one week appearance on the country charts that year. It would be 5 years before she next appeared on the country charts.

Starting in 1961, Jackson's career started to go increasingly towards country music than rock and roll. This began with the Top 10 hit "Right Or Wrong" which also became her biggest pop hit reaching the top 30. Her next single in 1962, "In The Middle Of A Heartache" was also a Top 10 hit and also a top 30 pop hit. Throughout the mid 1960s into the early 1970s, Jackson was never out of the country charts with such songs as "Tears Will Be The Chaser For Your Wine" (1966), "Both Sides Of The Line" (1967), "A Girl Don't Have To Drink To Have Fun" (1968), "A Woman Lives For Love" (1970), and many others. She had not completely abandoned her rock and roll roots either with all of her country albums having at least one rock and roll number. She was also the first female country artist to do a live album. In 1966, she had a number 1 in Germany with the foreign language hit "Santo Domingo" sung entirely in German.

A born-again Christian, Jackson and her husband/manager Wendell Goodman abandoned secular music in 1971, and spent the next 25 years performing gospel in churches. Wanda has also recorded several gospel albums as well with acclaim.

[edit] Wanda Jackson today

In 1995, Jackson was invited by alt-country singer Rosie Flores to duet with her on an upcoming album. The two were so pleased with the results that Jackson joined Flores on a handful of promotional club dates which were soon extended into a five-week North American tour. Jackson, pleasantly surprised to discover that she and her songs were known by a generation of rockabilly fans her grandchildren's age, soon assembled her own band and returned to clubs and festivals, where she continues to perform.

The same year, (and the year before) Jackson recorded in Europe with Danish group The Alligators.

Jackson ranked #35 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women in Country Music in 2002.

In recent years Jackson has recorded with such artists as The Cramps, Lee Rocker, Dave Alvin, and Elvis Costello, all of which are special guests on her album Heart Trouble, released in 2003 on CMH Records[3]. 2006 saw the release of a new Jackson album, I Remember Elvis. Jackson also made a guest appearance on her longtime friend Norma Jean's 2005 album singing a duet with Norma and soloing on a biographical song written by singer and performer Debbie Horton from the show Branson On The Road, titled "Pretty Miss Norma Jean".

On 16 August 2007, Jackson undertook a gig in Europe as a guest star of Dutch rock and roll stars, René Shuman and Angel-Eye. This was during the 30th Memorial Concert dedicated to Elvis Presley. More than 7,500 people saw the show, entitled "Elvis and More.."

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

Year Single U.S. Country Singles U.S. Pop Singles Album
1956 "I Gotta Know" 15 - Greatest Hits
1960 "Let's Have a Party" - 37 Let's Have a Party
1961 "In the Middle of a Heartache" 6 27 Greatest Hits
1961 "Right or Wrong" 9 29 Greatest Hits
1961 "Funnel of Love"
1962 "If I Cried Every Time You Hurt Me" 28 58 Greatest Hits
1962 "A Little Bitty Tear" - 84 Right or Wrong
1964 "The Violet and a Rose" 36 - Country Classics
1966 "Because It's You" 28 - Country Classics
1966 "This Gun Don't Care" 46 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1966 "The Box It Came In" 18 - Greatest Hits
1967 "Both Sides of the Line" 21 - Greatest Hits
1967 "My Heart Gets All the Breaks" 51 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1967 "Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine" 11 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1967 "You'll Always Have My Love" 64 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1968 "By the Time You Get to Phoenix" 46 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1968 "Little Boy Soldier" 46 - Tears Will Be the Chsser For Your Wine
1968 "My Baby Walked Right Out On Me" 34 - Country Clssics
1968 "A Girl Don't Have to Drink to Have Fun" 22 - Country Classics
1969 "I Wish I Was Your Friend" 51 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1969 "If I Had a Hammer" 41 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1969 "My Big Iron Skillet" 20 - Country Classics
1970 "Two Separate Bar Stools" 35 - Country Classics
1970 "Who Shot John" 50 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine
1970 "A Woman Lives For Love" 17 - Greatest Hits
1971 "Back Then" 25 - Greatest Hits
1971 "Fancy Satin Pillows" 13 - Greatest Hits
1972 "I Already Know (What I'm Getting For My Birthday)" 35 - Country Classics
1972 "I'll Be Whatever You Say" 57 - Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine

[edit] References

  1. ^ rare mini-biography of Allen
  2. ^ the original version
  3. ^ Wanda Jackson - Heart Trouble
  • Escott, Colin (1998). "Wanda Jackson". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 260.

[edit] External links