After ajournalist once dubbed her the ‘sweet lady with the nasty voice,’
Wanda Jackson would often joke: “Well, Idon’t know if that’s right, because I’m not sure I’m asweet lady at all!”
That writer’s portrait has remained however, and the Queen Of Rockabilly is celebrated today for a singing style so strong it could blow doors off hinges and possessing a voice so powerful it would ultimately break down the barriers of resistance for all aspiring women in rock’n’roll. Switching from playful country kitten purr to rebellious rockabilly wild cat roar, Jackson was a leading lady who would ultimately pave the way for every generation of female artist that has followed.
The first lady to make amark in the male-dominated world of 1950s rock’n’roll, Wanda was the original Wonder Woman. Seventy years on from her debut recording, Vintage Rock celebrates a sublime singer who sizzled in the studio and wasn’t afraid to be sexy on the stage. As she writes in her 2017 autobiography, Every Night Is Saturday Night: ACountry Girl’s Journey To The Rock &Roll Hall Of Fame: “I hope Imade it a little easier for gals to embrace their femininity and recognise that it’s okay to be sexy and be agood country girl at the same time.”