It’s hard to believe, but it’s been nearly five decades since rockabilly, a mix of early rock’n’roll and country, was born.
While many artists have come and gone in that time, a few of the genre’s earliest artists are still hitting the concert trail, including Wanda Jackson, one of the most influential female rockabilly singers of all time.
Jackson will be performing at Tio Leo’s on Friday, Jan. 19. No stranger to San Diego, she has also frequently performed alongside former local Rosie Flores, even recording two duets with her on the album, “Rockabilly Filly.”
In her 50 years as a recording star, Jackson has released albums in many styles, including gospel and country, but it’s her earliest rockabilly material such as “Fujiyama Mama” and “Lets Have A Party” that keeps packing clubs around the world. More importantly, she’s become an icon to female musicians.
Her work is cited by numerous performers, including country crooners Pam Tillis and Jann Browne. Anna Troy, one of San Diego’s up and coming blues singers, also counts Jackson as an influence.
“There’s so much passion in her music, it’s impossible to not get caught up in it,” Troy said. “There’s a reason why her songs have stood the test of time. It’s a complete package. Excellent songs, a killer performance and the fact that she’s still out there playing, all add up to something special.”
Her career got underway in 1952 at the age of 15 when she won an Oklahoma talent contest and was given her own daily radio show. The program ran for several years, all while she was still attending high school. Country legend Hank Thompson heard one such broadcast, leading to her first recordings with his band The Brazos Valley Boys. One song, “You Can’t Have My Love,” became a hit, scoring her a deal with Decca Records. Despite the demand for concerts, Jackson opted to finish school. When she did tour after graduation, she was accompanied by her father. Her family support was crucial in more ways then one “” her mother even made Jackson’s stage outfits.
At 19, she landed a deal with Capitol Records, which put her on a series of tours alongside other performers of the day. It was while on the road in 1956 that she began to delve into rockabilly with a vengeance.
Inspired and encouraged by tourmate Elvis Presley, she began to place songs in both the pop and country charts with regularity, eventually releasing an impressive 24 albums on Capitol. The hits continued throughout the ’60s, with Jackson also hosting her own television variety show, “Music Village.”
She turned to gospel in 1971, issuing six albums over the next decade, but by the beginning of the ’80s, demand in Europe for live shows brought her back to her roots.
In the ensuing years, Jackson has released new albums sporadically, but her vintage recordings continue to be repackaged, with more than six dozen world wide collections of her work and countless compilations appearances available.
As time marches on, the opportunity to catch a true legend “” and one of the architects of rock ‘n’ roll “” in concert is diminishing.
Whether a fan of the original hits, her more recent recordings or simply want to see what so many other respected musicians have been raving about, Jackson’s Tio Leo’s concert promises to be a memorable night out as well as a big party “” in the spirit of her biggest hit.