Rik Flynn
EditorWELCO
ME...
She was just six when she fi rst told her
dad of her plans to become a singer and
she meant it – Wanda Jackson would go
on to completely redefi ne what it
meant to be a woman in music. Despite
what Capitol Records told her when she
fi rst approached them, she showed the
industry that girls do sell records, lots of
’em. And she was happy to point out that
girls could rock as hard as any man.
Faced with a lack of material she could
relate to, she vowed to create her own,
and the likes of Mean Mean Man sparked off that nascent
desire to sing songs from a woman’s perspective. While the
mainstream media of the time presented women as kitchen-
dwelling husband-pleasers, Jackson was the dichotomy of that
sexist, staid image. From her primal, snarling vocals – as
stirring as anything that came out of the rockabilly fraternity’s
mouth – through to her many Rose Maddox-inspired, often
damn right outrageous stage outfi ts (as fl amboyant as anything
hanging in Elvis Presley’s wardrobe), Wanda levelled the
playing fi eld, and then some. Plus, of course, even though she
went on to have a romantic involvement with the King, who
encouraged and infl uenced her, she was in the charts before
he was. She threw caution to the wind when she strayed from
her country audience (and the stuffy Opry establishment that
had the audacity to make her cover up) and transformed
herself into a rockabilly queen – give Funnel Of Love a quick
spin for a clever illustration of her transition.
She may have hung up her touring boots and fringe dresses
this year, but Wanda’s spirit is one that will endure. Her
parting legacy goes far beyond the grooves of those classic
records. The party she started back in the 50s is still very
much going on, alive in the veins of every female artist in
existence – even if they don’t know it. While some big names
hold her in very high esteem: Adele, Bob Dylan, Rosanne Cash,
Imelda May, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen
and Jack White amongst them... Ever since the girl from
Oklahoma tore it up on Town Hall Party back in 1959 the game
was changed forever. Without doubt, Wanda Jackson did
things her way. An atomic fi reball indeed.Enjoy the issue!
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http://www.vintagerockmag.com
http://www.facebook.com/vintagerockmagEDITOR Rik Flynn
ART EDITORS Andrew McGregor
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Alex Duce
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