Oklahoma Mama: Interview with Wanda Jackson

Viewers of the Ken Burns "Country" documentary were no doubt startled by the incredible footage of a young Wanda Jackson tearing up the stage in a rare clip.

While there were a few standout female rockers in the 1950s (most notably Virginia's own packet of dynamite, Janis Martin) Jackson took the rockabilly music pioneered by one of her boyfriends, Elvis Presley, to a whole new level.

Jackson's work for Capitol Records and with producer Ken Nelson spawned numerous classics -- stomping anthems like “Let's Have a Party” and “Fujiyama Mama,” fueled by Jackson's untamed growl and kittenish persona (not to mention top notch guitarists such as Grady Martin and the young Roy Clark).

I'm pleased to see that my 2010 interview with the petite Oklahoma powerhouse is still online -- although wonkily formatted -- at the Style Weekly website. Read my in-depth talk with the legend by having a party right here.

And for more on the great Wanda Jackson, go here.