Wanda Jackson

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, band leader

Born in Maud, Okla., in 1937; lives in Oklahoma City

• Wanda’s father, a country fiddler, gives her a guitar at age 9

• Family moves to Los Angeles in 1942, to Bakersfield in 1946, and back to Oklahoma in 1949

• Wanda sings on KLPR radio in Oklahoma City; within a year, at age 13, she has her own time slot

• Wanda and boyfriend Tommy Collins visit Bakersfield with Wanda’s parents in 1952; Tommy stays behind when Jackson returns home

• Signs with Decca Records at 15; “You Can’t Have My Love” hits the Top 10

• Tours with (and frequently dates) Elvis Presley, who urges her to sing more rock ‘n’ roll

• Jumps to Capitol; first rockabilly session in 1956 features Joe Maphis and Buck Owens on guitar

• Becomes a regular on the Vegas circuit

• Writes “Kicking Our Hearts Around” for Buck Owens, which he takes to No. 8 in April 1963

• Wanda and the Party Timers star on syndicated TV show, “Music Village”

• Switches focus to gospel in the mid-70s, undertaking numerous evangelical tours