The queen of rockabilly Wanda Jackson has announced her retirement from performing and has canceled her scheduled concerts. There was no elaboration on the reason for her retirement apart from citing ‘health and safety.’
Photo credit: Wanda Jackson/Official Facebook Page
After over 60 years of touring, Wanda Jackson wishes to announce her retirement from performing. This retirement is solely based on health and safety. It has been a wild ride. Thank you all for all the years of continued fandom and support. This is not the end, just the beginning of a new chapter. Join us as we congratulate the Queen of Rockabilly on over six decades of rip roaring live performances, priceless stories and countless shimmies.
The post also indicated that she will not be appearing on her previously scheduled shows at two upcoming events, Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend and Nashville Boogie Vintage Weekender. The post still encouraged people to go, saying they should “keep the spirit of rockabilly alive.”
Wanda Jackson’s Legacy
The 81-year-old icon has been singing and recording since the early 1950s. A native of Maud, Oklahoma, Jackson has been making music for more than 60 years.
She had her own radio show by the time she was 15. And while she was still finishing up high school, she toured with Hank Thomson’s Brazos Valley Boys.
She credits the king Elvis Presley to turning her towards the rockabilly sound and helping her find her signature growl.
She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 as an early influence. In 2011, she released a Jack White-produced album entitled “The Party Ain’t Over.”
Jackson released her 31st and most recent album, the Justin Townes Earle-produced ‘Unfinished Business’ in 2012. And in 2017, she released her autobiography, Every Night is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.