Wanda Jackson, known widely as the "Queen of Rockabilly" was just a kid when she first hit the music scene in the mid 1950s. Like so many rockabilly pioneers, she'd started her career as a country artist. When Elvis exploded upon the scene, he naturally influenced countless other musicians and Ms. Jackson was one of them.
Like so many others, Jackson credits Elvis with her switch from country to rockabilly, but her story is a bit different. Instead of seeing Elvis on stage or on TV and saying, "I want to do that" like countless artists did, Jackson was personally encouraged by the King to try this new style of music called rock-and-roll. Legend has it that Jackson dated Presley for a bit and he--along with her father--talked her into rocking up her act.
Jackson proceeded to create some of the very finest rockabilly recordings ever cut into vinyl. And in the process, she completely redefined the image of a "girl" singer. Jackson didn't only sing, but she also accompanied herself on acoustic rhythm guitar. That was ground-breaking enough for a female artist, but that isn't close to the extent of her influence on all women rockers to follow.
Jackson's most enduring contribution to rock and roll (aside from her great recordings) is attitude. She was the first to break out of the common mold of cowgirl outfits on stage. Instead, Jackson and her mother sat down and designed then stitched together a stunning wardrobe of tight-fitting "pencil" dresses. Always tight-fitting, frequently with subtle use of cowboy fringe, and often a bit on the low-cut side at the neck, Jackson cut a stunning, sexy on-stage figure.
And once she had the audience's attention, she belted out wonderfully raw rockabilly with a knock-out growl in her voice. She seemed to have a sixth sense about when to use her small, sweet voice and then lash out with her trademark rockabilly growl. It was sometimes hard to imagine the two different sounds were coming out of the same small, pretty frame!
Jackson didn't see huge commercial success as a rockabilly artist and once the rockabilly craze died out in the early 60s, she switched back to country music. In fact, she never really left country since record executives insisted that a "girl" couldn't make it in rock and roll music. Thus, Jackson would routinely release records with a country song on one side and a rocker on the other. But it was country music that kept her career alive after people stopped buying rockabilly.
She never became a mega superstar in country music either, but she did have several respectable hits and this success was enough to keep her in the music business. In the 1970s, she tried a new angle and recorded some great gospel music.
When the rockabilly revival was in swing during the 1980s, Jackson found a home for herself on the revival circuit. She discovered that she had fans who truly appreciate her contribution to early rock and roll. She's been playing a mix of all of her music on the road since, though her shows frequently lean toward her early rockabilly masterpieces.
Early in 2011, Jackson teamed up with superstar Jack White on a brand new album, The Party Ain't Over. The record has won great critical acclaim and has sparked Jackson's career once again. As I write this article in the summer of 2011, Jackson is in the midst of a heavy touring and performing schedule that keeps her playing in front of appreciative fans all over the world. Not bad for a 73-year-old performer!
Jackson has shown amazing resilience in a business that eats many people alive. Her talents are as sharp today as they were nearly 60 years ago when she was just a fresh, young kid hitting the stages for the first time. The Queen of Rockabilly is a perfect example of someone who just loves to entertain people and finds a way to keep doing that despite all the odds.
Buster Fayte is an author and rockabilly musician. Visit his Rockabilly Romp blog at http://rockabillyromp.info/, download free rockabilly computer background artwork as Buster's way of welcoming you to the blog, and join the rockabilly discussion.
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