The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice

I was planning on this journal entry to have pictures that would accent a recounting of my trip to Brooklyn. But as it so often happens, I bring my camera someplace and forget to document the occasion with it, since I am too wrapped up in enjoying that experience.

I would have also liked to have pictures of Wanda Jackson for you all, who I saw last week at Jammin' Java, a coffee shop/bar/showcase in a strip mall in Virginia. But instead, I will put in something I picked up from google image.

Seeing Wanda was a much needed break from the daily exercise in seeking employment, and seeing a 71 year old lady rock the fringe and sing about riots in female prisons and being Elvis's sweetheart made me wish she was my grandma.

One of the more amusing stories she told, and she told one as an intro- and outroduction to every song, was for Fujiyama Mama. Apparently, it was a huge hit in Japan, where her audiences would sing all the words and go crazy. Wanda expressed her feelings of confusion and discomfort over this fanfare, saying at the show, "I wondered if they knew what those words meant, we did win that war, you know?"

Oh, that Wanda! You are my favorite!

I first fell for Wanda while watching But I am a Cheerleader, where I heard "Funnel of Love." (Notice that in nearly every photo of current Wanda, including when I saw her last week, she is wearing that same fringe shirt. When you find it, you stick with it!) For some frankly stupid reason, the soundtrack to that movie was never formally released, and I did not know who sang that song until I heard Rosie Flores do a strikingly-similar sounding cover of it while doing late night radio at WCBN. I am not too embarrassed now to admit that I thought this was the same version in the movie. While also under the false assumption that Rosie wrote "Funnel of Love," I became engrossed in the country/folk/rockabilly collections at the station, and became a sub on the bluegrass and country specialty shows, where I frequently indulged in my love for female twangy musicians. Coming out of that experience, Wanda Jackson proves to be one of my top favorites, and eventually I put it together that she did the original "Funnel of Love."

It was one of the first songs she did at the show, and she introduced it saying that it was a B side to another song that was more popular and it never became a hit, but that newer rockabilly fans have taken to it. She actually had to go back, find the b side, and relearn the lyrics and key! Obviously, the audience went crazy only after hearing the first few notes of the tune.

Afterwards, we waited in line for autographs. A few observations:
1) Wanda has a big lesbian following. Helen and I saw at least two other couples at the show, including two in front of us in the line. One of them said to her, "your female fans love you, Wanda!" To which Wanda, a born again Christian who may or may not be aware of her sapphic fanbase, nodded and said thank you like the lady she is.

2) Wanda doesn't do personalized autographs. I asked her to make one out to my dear friend and music aficionado Tex, but she said that she couldn't hear well enough to write names. Shucks.

3) Wanda is living in the 1950s as well as the 2000s. Her autograph pictures, as well as most of her website, consists of pictures from her younger years. Right now, I am admiring two autographs, one a head shot from 1959 and another of her shimmying with fringe and a guitar from 1958. In that small window of opportunity to say something awkward to a famous person while they sign something for you, I told Wanda that she looks better now (for a 71 year old rock star, yeah she looks just fine). "You are too kind," she said. Own it, Wanda, own it!

4) Wanda has touring bands all over the world, and performs constantly. How cool is that?

5) She has a documentary coming out on May 18th, titled "The Sweet Lady with a Nasty Voice."

Oh, well, I am deep in the funnel of Wanda! Grrrr!