Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson started her career as a dare. Her church friends dared her to audition for a local radio station’s talent spot when she was 12 years old.

She took the dare and won, and ended up with a regular 15-minute slot on radio KLPR in Oklahoma City.

In the late Fifties and early Sixties, Wanda made red-hot rockabilly records like Fujiyama Mama, Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad and Let’s Have A Party, as well as the ballad Silver Threads and Golden Needles.

Her feral vocal stylings were considered by many to be too hot for the market to handle, and Jackson later toned down her act, recording country songs in Nashville. She became a born-again Christian in June 1971.

Jackson began to appear at one-night revivals, singing and giving testimony in churches all over the US. She also continued to perform secular concerts but refused to play in nightclubs.

Shep & the Limelites James 'Shep' Sheppard's career began in St. Alban's Park, New York, in 1954 when, in the fashion of the day,…
Kiki Dee Kiki Dee had been making records since the Sixties, but her career didn't really get going until Elton John signed…
Pat Boone Pat Boone was born Charles Eugene Boone - the great-great-great-great-grandson of pioneer Daniel Boone - in Jacksonville, Florida, on 1 June…
Applejacks, The The Applejacks hailed from Solihull in the West Midlands where, in 1960, guitarists Martin Baggott and Philip Cash were in…
Charlie Feathers Rockabilly pioneer Charlie Feathers was born Charles Arthur Feathers in June 1932 in the hill country near Holly Springs, around 50…
Screaming Lord Sutch David Edward Sutch (formerly a plumber's mate from Harrow) based his act on Screaming Jay Hawkins and presented his musical horror show…
Fortunes, The The Fortunes began life as a Birmingham-Welsh vocal trio fronting The Cliftones - whose repertoire was based around easy-listening songs…
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup Arthur Crudup (pronounced Crude-up) was born in 1905 in Jackson, Mississippi, and grew up in Forest, a town 40 miles…