Wanda Jackson出生于1937年代的奥克拉荷马，1956年正式出道推出个人录音作品，她也可算是美国最早期唱Rock & Roll的女歌手喔！想想当年的白人女歌手多以乡村乐发迹，Wanda Jackson算是很大胆地要跟男人一样开唱摇滚歌曲，而早年将这种乡村乐与摇滚乐融合在一起的新型流行音乐称为“Rockabilly”，而尝试这样狂野豪迈歌唱的Wanda Jackson，虽然早年有受到一些保守的美国人的排斥，但随着时光的流逝。大家反而开始尊称她“The First Lady Of Rockabilly”或是“Queen Of Rockabilly”…Rockabilly的祖师娘是也！至今，她还不时跑出来巡回唱唱歌哩！如今已经70多高龄的Wanda Jackson，出道超过半个世纪，然而难能可贵的是她的嗓音几乎没有改变。依然还是那么质朴。纯劲！不愧是山地摇滚第一夫人！ by Kurt WolffWanda Jackson was only halfway through high school when, in 1954, country singer Hank Thompson heard her on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band, the Brazos Valley Boys. By the end of the decade, Jackson had become one of Americas first major female country and rockabilly singers.Jackson was born in Oklahoma, but her father Tom — himself a country singer who quit because of the Depression — moved the family to California in 1941. He bought Wanda her first guitar two years later, gave her lessons, and encouraged her to play piano as well. In addition, he took her to see such acts as Tex Williams, Spade Cooley, and Bob Wills, which left a lasting impression on her young mind. Tom moved the family back to Oklahoma City when his daughter was 12 years old. In 1952, she won a local talent contest and was given a 15-minute daily show on KLPR. The program, soon upped to 30 minutes, lasted throughout Jacksons high school years. Its here that Thompson heard her sing. Jackson recorded several songs with the Brazos Valley Boys, including You Cant Have My Love, a duet with Thompsons bandleader, Billy Gray. The song, on the Decca label, became a national hit, and Jacksons career was off and running. She had wanted to sign with Capitol, Thompsons label, but was turned down, so she signed with Decca instead.Jackson insisted on finishing high school before hitting the road. When she did, her father came with her. Her mother made and helped design Wandas stage outfits. I was the first one to put some glamour in the country music — fringe dresses, high heels, long earrings, Jackson said of these outfits. When Jackson first toured in 1955 and 1956, she was placed on a bill with none other than Elvis Presley. The two hit it off almost immediately. Jackson said it was Presley, along with her father, who encouraged her to sing rockabilly. In 1956, Jackson finally signed with Capitol, a relationship that lasted until the early 70s. Her recording career bounced back and forth between country and rockabilly; she did this by often putting one song in each style on either side of a single. Jackson cut the rockabilly hit Fujiyama Mama in 1958, which became a major success in Japan. Her version of Lets Have a Party, which Elvis had cut earlier, was a U.S. Top 40 pop hit for her in 1960, after which she began calling her band the Party Timers. A year later, she was back in the country Top Ten with Right or Wrong and In the Middle of a Heartache. In 1965, she topped the German charts with Santa Domingo, sung in German. In 1966, she hit the U.S. Top 20 with The Box It Came In and Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine. Jacksons popularity continued through the end of the decade. Jackson toured regularly, was twice nominated for a Grammy, and was a big attraction in Las Vegas from the mid-50s into the 70s. She married IBM programmer Wendell Goodman in 1961, and instead of quitting the business — as many women singers had done at the time — Goodman gave up his job in order to manage his wifes career. He also packaged Jacksons syndicated TV show, Music Village. In 1971, Jackson and her husband became Christians, which she says saved their marriage. She released one gospel album on Capitol in 1972, Praise the Lord, before shifting to the Myrrh label for three more gospel albums. In 1977, she switched again, this time to Word Records, and released another two.In the early 80s, Jackson was invited to Europe to play rockabilly and country festivals and to record. Shes since been back numerous times. More recently, American country artists Pam Tillis, Jann Browne, and Rosie Flores have acknowledged Jackson as a major influence. In 1995, Flores released a rockabilly album, Rockabilly Filly, and invited Jackson, her longtime idol, to sing two duets on it with her. Jackson embarked on a major U.S. tour with Flores later that year. It was her first secular tour in this country since the 70s, not to mention her first time back in a nightclub atmosphere.