Wanda Lavonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 1960s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist.[2] She is known to many as the "Queen of Rockabilly" (or "First Lady of Rockabilly").[3] Jackson mixed country music with fast-moving rockabilly, often recording them on opposite sides of a record.[4] As rockabilly declined in popularity in the mid-1960s, ... Show more...

Wanda Lavonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 1960s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist.[2] She is known to many as the "Queen of Rockabilly" (or "First Lady of Rockabilly").[3] Jackson mixed country music with fast-moving rockabilly, often recording them on opposite sides of a record.[4] As rockabilly declined in popularity in the mid-1960s, she moved to a successful career in mainstream country music with a string of hits between 1966 and 1973, including "Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine", "A Woman Lives for Love" and "Fancy Satin Pillows". She has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity among rockabilly revivalists in Europe and younger Americana fans, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence in 2009. She played at the Rockabilly Festival in Jackson, Tennessee in 2001 with The Cadillac Angels.[15] Despite her age, Jackson continued touring.[16] Jackson released her first studio album since 1987, Heart Trouble (2003) on CMH Records. The sixteen-track album included guest appearances by Elvis Costello, The Cramps and Rosie Flores.[17] Singer Amy LaVere portrayed a young Jackson in the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line (2005).[10] Jackson was interviewed about the origins of rockabilly music in the award-winning Canadian documentary entitled Rockabilly 514 (2008), directed by Patricia Chica and Mike Wafer. She returned to England on October 28, 2008 for an appearance at the London Rock 'n' Roll Festival with Jerry Lee Lewis and Linda Gail Lewis at the London Forum.[18] In 2009, she teamed up with Jack White to record The Party Ain't Over (2011), which was well received by many critics but failed to come close to the success of "Van Lear Rose" that White produced for the legendary Loretta Lynn. Jackson enjoyed her first ever charting on the Billboard Hot 200 LP chart, peaking at number 58.[3][19] The album also broke Mae West's long-standing record for being the oldest female vocalist to make the chart with her 1966 album Way Out West with Jackson at 73 being a year older than West at the time of her hit rock LP. Billboard inexplicably failed to include The Party Ain't Over on the Billboard Hot Country LPS chart, although several of the songs were blatantly country, and the genre in which Jackson was always most successful in the United States. To promote The Party Ain't Over, she performed with Jack White on the Late Show with David Letterman and Conan. Wanda's song "Funnel of Love" appeared in the Guy Ritchie's film RocknRolla in 2008 and was featured on the film's soundtrack. In a 2010 episode of the HBO program Entourage featured the same song as the music to the ending credits. Jackson appeared on the BBC's Hootenanny at the end of 2010, performing her version of "Let's Have a Party" and a cover of the Amy Winehouse song "You Know I'm No Good" with Jools Holland and his orchestra. The following year, after Winehouse's d**h, she took part in an Amy Winehouse tribute performance with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings at the VH1 Divas Live 2011. Wanda released her thirty-first studio album Unfinished Business (2012) on Sugar Hill Records. The album goes back to her rockabilly and country roots and was produced by Americana singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle. The album became Jackson's first in 39 years to make the Billboard Hot Country LPs charts.