Wanda Jackson

Wielding one of the most vivacious voices in rock ‘n’ roll, Wanda Jackson maintained a fiery intensity across seven decades of recording. Born in 1937 in Maud, Oklahoma, Jackson moved with her family to Los Angeles and then Bakersfield, adopting the guitar while singing from a young age. After debuting as a straight-ahead country singer, she dovetailed into rougher-edged rockabilly following a pivotal tour with Elvis Presley, as heard on 1956’s hiccupping “I Gotta Know.” By the time of 1960’s “Let’s Have a Party”, Jackson’s voice was shot through with gravel and Little Richard-esque falsetto whoops, while her evocative 1961 tune “Funnel of Love” went on to influence The Cramps and Adele alike. Jackson enjoyed several more distinct chapters of her career before retiring in the late 2010s, including a multi-decade gospel phase and post-millennial returns to rock overseen by artist/producers like Jack White and Joan Jett.