Wanda Jackson

“I’m ready to rock. I know you are” purrs rockabilly grande dame Wanda Jackson as she glides on in a tassled jacket of eye-gouging pink and beneath a suspiciously jet-black bouffant. In her field of vision as she surveys her crowd are younger ladies with a vintage fashion fetish; psychobilly thirty-somethings looking for an insight into the gentler beginnings of their favoured fare; senior girls (around our star turn’s age bracket) in leather jackets and heavy eyeliner; and old lads still displaying their 50’s pompadours like peacocks, albeit with a little more room in the quiff for air to circulate. Her backing band for UK dates, Wes McGhee’s London Partytimers, are suited, booted and well-drilled. “Finest band I work with” says Wanda, causing one of her charges to remark “I bet you say that to all the boys." Not so apparently, “You should hear what I say to the others… I’ve only killed about three drummers” she retorts, the wit every bit as sharp as the voice. Indeed that voice is remarkably well preserved in its 75th year; grazed yelps, glottal howls and country-gal yodelling all still within range, and kept just on the right side of a Sunday night knees up at Joe Maplin’s. 'Funnel Of Love' in particular, as it sashays about on tiptoes, is magnificent. 'Riot In Cell Block #9' is an ideal opener for establishing the spirit of the evening, and 'Let’s Have A Party' hardly pushes a stick between the spokes in this regard. As much as parade of "hits," it is a night for storytelling and although the strolling oratory sometimes gazes at the trophy cabinet for perhaps overly elongated periods, you can hardly blame a Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer who has both worked with and dated Elvis, scored #1’s in Japan and had a street named after them in Oklahoma City for not hiding their light under bushel when it can be brought out and used to illuminate the evening of their career. Indeed it was Elvis who dragged her from the security blanket of country music into the hazards of the “new stuff, as we called it then," but she was to flit between the genres many times, and Hank Williams’ 'I Saw The Light' is a mood shifting moment of the set when she lays on the line her religious beliefs and pinpoints the moment, 40 years ago, when she took the Lord into her heart. However in terms of ‘how I got where I am today’ influences, Jack White takes almost equal billing with Jesus Christ. His production of her recent, and fabulous, LP 'The Party Ain’t Over' is represented with a suite of numbers as we come into the final stretch of the set. There might be a slight glitch with the pitch on 'Rip It Up,' with Wanda apologetic (but no-one minds), but the manual fade out and back up on 'Nervous Breakdown' is thrilling, whilst the version of Amy Winehouse’s 'You Know I’m No Good' is performed with a brilliantly unsettling septuagenarian lasciviousness. Despite asking Jack White to tweak the lyrics of the second verse to make them more “age appropriate”, Wanda keeps with the carpet burns line and also suggestively rests her index finger on his bottom lip, her mouth forming a roguish O as the song comes to its instrumental close. There is a huge cheer as she reveals she has been recording for 57 years, a keenness to bop as her big in Japan moment 'Fujiyama Mama' plays out, and a slight retreat as she flings unsolicited water at the front row. Despite the worn-on-the-sleeve Christianity, Wanda Jackson clearly retains a mischievousness from her salad days. Thus, performing in front of several generations at once, she remains right at home.

Saw Wanda Jackson for the third time last night at the El Club in Detroit. We drove 3 hours to see her this time. Once again, it was worth every mile!

Ms. Jackson has been one of my very favorite artists since the 1960's and I have been impressed each time I have seen her.

It is so nice to see the diversity in the audiences. Her show is great to see whether you are young or old. There was a little 6 year old girl with her parents at the show last night and they all seemed to have a blast! The ages in the audience ranged from 6 to 60's and probably beyond.

Wanda was nice enough to sign one of my Wanda Jackson album covers I brought with me and she also signed my concert ticket. I will treasure them always and will frame them and display them proudly. Thank you so much, Wanda!

I just opened a small cafe - record store in Howard City, MI last year. I play Wanda's records for people all the time. Some people say "who is that singing, I really like her". I, of course, have to go on and on about Wanda and tell everyone what an awesome artist she is and how I am a huge fan.

Each time I have seen Wanda has been a wonderful experience! If you like good old rockabilly-country music, this is a must see show!

Thanks again Wanda for such a great evening of music and fun!!

Dan Edwards
Howard City, Michigan

Wanda Lavonne Jackson can boast to being the pioneer of a genre after identifying her music as rockabilly in the 50s and 60s. Lately she has enjoyed a career revival of sorts as there has been a surge in popularity among rockabilly revivalists in Europe and younger Americana fans so despite nearing her 80th birthday, Wanda continues to tour off and on.

Her live schedule is not as gruelling as it was during her heyday yet there is still a good amount of shows for the fans who have stuck by her and those who are new converts to the music. She has a brilliant live band accompanying her and they take a lot of the instrumental work so Jackson only has to focus on the singing and chatting to the audience. She brings out the stomping classics including 'I Saw the Light' and 'Mean Mean Mean' as well as covers of other rockabilly icons such as Elvis Presley and The Robins. For anybody with an interest in the music, Wanda Jackson is definitely somebody to research and to see live if you have the opportunity.

I am expecting a couple of openers and Ms.Wanda will come out.
It became a Rockabilly fest!!It was a BLAST!!!
Wild Records have a solid Rockabilly,Psychobilly bands in their Roster!
Ms Wanda Jackson is still TOPNOTCH.My first time to see her and I brought along my nephew and he was so thrilled to see a Legend.
One for the books!!