Wanda Jackson at The Luminaire 21 September 2006

"Ace Records and The Luminaire are excited to announce a special one off show by one of our all time heroines Wanda Jackson ! Wanda will be flying in all the way from Oklahoma City to perform a rare club date to help us launch a new compilation of her country recordings 'The Very Best Of The Country Years’. The evening will be very special featuring Wanda backed by Wes McGhee + Bill Haley & The Comet's rhythm section. Support will be provided by Vince Vincent & The Villains (www.vincentvincentandthevillains.com). There will also be celebrity DJs, a drive-by by the local Hot Rod Club and full 50s uniforms for all the venue staff. As space in the club in strictly limited, book early to avoid disappointment.

Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Jean Jackson, on October 20, 1937, in Maud, Oklahoma) was the first female rock and roll singer in the United States, releasing her debut record in 1956. She is often hailed as the "Queen Of Rockabilly."

Jackson was still in high school when country singer Hank Thompson heard her sing on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band. She dated Elvis Presley, who encouraged her to step away from the country-tinged gospel she had been performing since childhood and try her hand at rock and roll. She developed her own distinctive voice and performed in a variety of styles, from folksy traditional tunes to country twang and high yodels to throaty, suggestive ballads. She was a prolific singer of songs with wry lyrics such as "Fujiyama Mama," which contained many references to the World War II bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; ironically, it became a #1 hit in Japan. Her biggest hit was 1959's "Let's Have a Party."

Jackson achieved great and continuing success throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia, but has never found the same level of fame in her native United States. She toured with rock and roll pioneers such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. She has been nominated for two Grammys, and has been awarded the Oklahoma Native Daughter Award. Shë has been inducted into the Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the International Hall of Fame, the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, and the German Country Music Hall of Fame, but remains conspicuously absent from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

A born-again Christian, Jackson and her husband/manager Wendell Goodman abandoned rock and roll in 1971 and spent the next 25 years performing gospel in churches.

In 1996, Jackson was invited by alt-country singer Rosie Flores to duet with her on an upcoming album. The two were so pleased with the results that Jackson joined Flores on a handful of promotional club dates which were soon extended into a five-week North American tour. Jackson, pleasantly surprised to discover that she and her songs were known by a generation of rockabilly fans her grandchildren's age, soon assembled her own band and returned to clubs and festivals, where she continues to perform.

In recent years Jackson has recorded with such artists as The Cramps, Lee Rocker, Dave Alvin, and Elvis Costello. 2006 sees the release of her new country compilation album, 'The Very Best of The Country Years’ For tickets click here."