The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice

In 1954, one woman changed music history. Wanda Jackson was the first lady of rock and roll. The stage was her kingdom, and she ruled it with an aggressive style and signature growl, which shocked listeners and gained her tour dates with Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Her influence was massive, spreading beyond her gender and her generation, as detailed in interviews with rock immortals Elvis Costello, Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen, and Terry Stewart, President of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.