ISU Bengal

Issue date: 4/19/06 Section: Life

If Elvis Presley was the King of Rock n' Roll, Wanda Jackson is the Queen. She's certainly deserving of the crown. She toured with Elvis. She dated him. And now she brings her legendary act to Pocatello in support of her latest studio release, "I remember Elvis". Presented by KISU-FM Radio and the ISU Program Board, the two-time Grammy Award nominee will perform at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 28 in the Stephens Performing Arts Center.

Taking a break between performances, Wanda spoke to The Bengal via telephone from her Oklahoma City home. She provided insight into a career that has spanned five decades, taken her all over the world, and placed her on stage with icons who need no introduction.



Bengal: Tell us about the new record?

Jackson: I'm very excited about it. It's old time Rock n' Roll, my tribute to Elvis. Everything on it was done pretty much the same way his debut with Sun Records was done. Three instruments, just a guitar, bass, and drums. It's sort of a nod to the old days.



Bengal: How does it feel to be on the road?

Jackson: I'm having the time of my life. For 15 years I've been on a ministry with my husband, doing gospel shows, which I love. But it feels great to be doing Rock n' Roll and Rockabilly again. I feel like I'm getting back to my roots.



Bengal: Speaking of your roots, you've been performing for a long time. What are some differences between touring now and, say, back in the '60's?

Jackson: (chuckling) Well, I make a lot more money, and I get to fly everywhere. But seriously, the first difference is I'm a headliner. The live music scene has changed. The venues are a lot larger. The music was different back then, things were a lot slower.



Bengal: You're timeless. How have you performed at such a high level for so long?

Jackson: There's no big secret. Mainly it's the music, and the crowd. I feed off the energy of the music, and the love of the crowd. It's like a high. There's nothing like it. But I've done enough shows that I've also learned not to depend on it.



Bengal: What's the most exciting thing for you about this tour?

Jackson: Mainly the sense of accomplishment, the fact that I got this project done. I've been thinking about doing something like this for a long time, as Elvis was such an influential person in my life. My husband has been prodding me, and I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from my fans. I just couldn't put this record off any longer.

Continued...

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