Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937, in Maud, Oklahoma) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician whose career helped define the early sound and image of rockabilly. Known as the "Queen of Rockabilly," she was one of the first women to establish herself in rock and roll while also becoming a successful country and gospel performer.
Jackson grew up in a musical family. Her father, Tom Jackson, had worked as a country singer before the Great Depression ended his professional ambitions, but he encouraged his daughter to learn guitar and piano. After the family returned to Oklahoma City, Jackson won a local talent contest in 1952 and received her own radio program on KLPR. The show made her a visible young performer and helped bring her to the attention of country singer Hank Thompson.
In 1954, Thompson invited Jackson to record with his band, the Brazos Valley Boys. Her duet with bandleader Billy Gray, "You Can't Have My Love," became a national country hit on Decca Records. Jackson continued her education before committing fully to touring, and her father accompanied her on the road as her manager and chaperone. Her early stage presentation was distinctive, combining country styling with bright, glamorous clothing and an assertive performance manner.
Jackson toured extensively with Elvis Presley in the mid-1950s. Presley encouraged her to explore the faster, more rhythm-driven music that would soon be called rockabilly. In 1956, she signed with Capitol Records, beginning one of the most important recording partnerships of her career. Her Capitol singles frequently placed a country song on one side of a record and a rockabilly performance on the other, reflecting both her versatility and the unstable market for early rock and roll.
Her most celebrated rockabilly recordings include "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad," "Mean Mean Man," "Fujiyama Mama," and "I Gotta Know." "Fujiyama Mama" became especially popular in Japan, while "Let's Have a Party" gave Jackson her best-known crossover success. Originally associated with Presley, Jackson's exuberant version became a Top 40 pop hit in 1960 and inspired her to rename her backing group the Party Timers. The song later entered the Grammy Hall of Fame.
During the 1960s, Jackson increasingly concentrated on country music. She scored major country successes with "Right or Wrong," "In the Middle of a Heartache," "The Box It Came In," and "Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine." Her recordings from this period showed that her powerful delivery worked as effectively with traditional country material as it did with rockabilly. She also built a strong international following, including a German-language hit with "Santo Domingo."
After becoming a Christian in the early 1970s, Jackson devoted much of her work to gospel music. She recorded for Capitol, Myrrh, and Word Records and performed religious programs in the United States. In the 1980s, renewed interest in rockabilly brought her back to European festivals and introduced her to a new generation of listeners.
Jackson later returned to secular recording and touring, working with artists such as Rosie Flores, Elvis Costello, Dave Alvin, and the Cramps. Jack White produced her 2011 album The Party Ain't Over, followed by Unfinished Business in 2012. Her final studio album, Encore, was released in 2021 and produced by Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna.
Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 as an Early Influence and received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2005. Her forceful voice, rhythmic phrasing, and independent stage persona established a model for later women in rock, country, and roots music.