At the grand old age of 81 Wanda Jackson has chosen to hang up her boots and box up her infamously flamboyant touring wardrobe. A hero to many stars that followed including Bob Dylan (who dubbed her the “Hurricane in Lipstick”), Cyndi Lauper, Imelda May, Adele and numerous others, Wanda’s career has had many varied highlights. Plenty of storming performances are missed out here, from the incendiary Mean Mean Man on Town Hall Party to the serene Right Or Wrong on vinyl, but nonetheless, here we handpick 10 of her finest, fieriest and funniest performances on stage, on record and on television – chosen from across the length and breadth of her incredible career.
1 I Gotta Know Augumented by some superb fretting from ace guitarist Joe Maphis, Bakersfield stars Buck Owens and Lewis Talley, and pedal steel legend (and country music giant) Ralph Mooney, Wanda Jackson’s career shot into orbit via this debut slice of wax, a piece of sophisticated country rockin’ penned by Thelma Blackmon – the talented mother of one of Wanda’s friends. Cleverly showing off both her country side and her emerging rockabilly persona via some canny tempo shifts, I Gotta Know made the Top 20 in the Billboard country listings immediately. Perhaps most importantly, it was during the single recording session that her trademark growl was born – aired live to America on 50s TV show Town Hall Party.