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Wanda Ann Thomas Biography & Facts

Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, recording a series of 1950s singles that helped give her the nickname "The Queen of Rockabilly". She is also counted among the first female stars in the genre of country music. Jackson began performing as a child and later had her own radio show in Oklahoma City. She was then discovered by country singer Hank Thompson, who helped her secure a recording contract with Decca Records in 1954. At Decca, Jackson had her first hit single with the country song "You Can't Have My Love". She then began touring the following year with Elvis Presley. The two briefly dated and Presley encouraged her to record in the Rockabilly style. In 1956, Jackson signed with Capitol Records where she was given full permission to record both country and Rockabilly. The label released a string of Jackson's rock singles, including "Fujiyama Mama", "Mean Mean Man" and the top 40 hit "Let's Have a Party". In the 1960s, Jackson moved back to the country genre and had several charting singles during the decade. This included "Right or Wrong", "In the Middle of a Heartache", "Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine" and "A Woman Lives for Love". In addition, she also recorded several selections for the German language market overseas. In 1965, the German single "Santo Domingo" reached number one on the Austrian pop chart. After re-discovering Christianity in 1971, Jackson made gospel music a priority in her career. She left Capitol Records in 1973 and signed with Word Records to focus more on the gospel circuit. Over the next two decades, she released a series of gospel discs. In 1984, Jackson was sought out by European promoters to tour overseas. The same year, she released her first rock album in two decades and launched a new career in the genre. In the 1990s, her rock records were noticed again by American audiences and she began touring alongside fellow Rockabilly artist Rosie Flores. During this period, she released several commercially acclaimed albums in the rock and roll style, including Heart Trouble (2003) and I Remember Elvis (2006). Following her 2009 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jackson collaborated with musician Jack White to record the commercially successful The Party Ain't Over. For several years, she kept a busy touring schedule before announcing her retirement from performing in 2019. She released her final studio project in 2021. Early life Jackson was the only child born to parents Tom and Nellie Jackson in Maud, Oklahoma. Her father worked multiple jobs, including a gas station attendant and delivery truck driver. He also played music in a local band alongside his brother. Because of limited opportunities in Maud, the family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1941. Jackson often sang alongside her parents at home. Nellie Jackson often had Jackson sing while she was out of sight, to ensure her daughter was accounted for. In Los Angeles, Jackson was introduced to western swing music. She enjoyed hearing music by popular western acts like Bob Wills and Rose Maddox. At age six, her father introduced Jackson to the guitar. She also took guitar lessons and was soon skillful enough to play it alongside her father. In the mid 1940s, the family relocated to Bakersfield, California where Tom Jackson took a job as a barber. She also took piano lessons and continued to play the guitar. It was during this period that she began having trouble with academics. Jackson recalled the experience in her book: "All I wanted to do was sing and play music, and it was impossible for me to sit still," she recounted in her autobiography. When Jackson was nine, the family moved back to their home state, this time living in Oklahoma City. Her father found employment as a taxi cab driver and her mother worked on an air force base. In Oklahoma City, Jackson sang in the local Baptist church and engaged in more performance opportunities. She auditioned for the local radio station, KPLR, after being peer-pressured by friends. She was featured on program, which impressed the station's disc jockey, who encouraged her to audition for a second KPLR contest. Jackson won the second contest at KPLR, which allotted Jackson her own 15-minute radio segment. On the show, Jackson performed a set of country songs and recalled having little understanding of how to host a radio show. "I was flying by the seat of my pants, but it didn't scare me to get out on a limb and try something brand new. I liked it," she explained in her biography. As a teenager, Jackson attended Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City and continued her radio show. She also dated fellow student, Leonard Sipes, who would later go by the name Tommy Collins. In 1952, Jackson was heard on the air by country singer and local resident, Hank Thompson. The singer invited Jackson to perform with him at the Trianon Ballroom in Oklahoma City. On Thompson's show, Jackson sang "Blue Yodel No. 6" backed by his band the Brazos Valley Boys. The performance led to a regular gig singing alongside Merl Lindsay's country band. Jackson was always performing, and at times neglected her social life. "[Wanda] never had time for dates, nothing like that. Just that guitar – that's all she thought about," a high school friend recalled. Career 1953–1955: Country beginnings Jackson also continued working with Hank Thompson. In 1953, she appeared with him regularly on his local television program and on a similar program for 30 minutes hosted by KPLR. Thompson also recorded Jackson on several demonstration recordings in hopes they would be heard by major record labels. Thompson was also attempting to get his band member Billy Gray a recording contract, and had the pair sing several duets. Jackson was supposed to be signed by Thompson's label, Capitol Records, but was rejected by producer Ken Nelson. "Girls don't sell records!" he told Thompson. In her book, Jackson recalled hearing Nelson's statement: "I recognize that Ken wasn't being sexist, so much as he was thinking about business. But it still gave me a little nudge to prove him wrong!" Instead Thompson contacted Paul Cohen of Decca Records, who was interested in signing Jackson and Billy Gray. In 1954, while still high school, Jackson signed with the label. In March 1954, the Jackson family traveled to Hollywood, California where she recorded her first Decca sessions backed by Thompson's band. She cut several solo sides, along with the Billy Gray duet, "You Can't Have My Love". Jackson disliked the song, but Thompson convinced her to record it. It was soon released as Jackson's debut single on Decca and became a major hit, climbing to the number eight spot on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart. Upon Decca's encouragement, Jackson and Gray rec.... Discover the Wanda Ann Thomas popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Wanda Ann Thomas books.