Last night Becky and I had a very fun experience as we got to spend the evening with Wanda Jackson. Wanda is known as the "Queen of Rockabilly" and sometimes as the "First Lady of Rock and Roll" as she was the first female singer to cross over from country to rockabilly which became rock and roll.
She was encouraged by Elvis Presley to record music like he was doing. She actually dated Elvis for a while in his very early days and she toured with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. She was friends with all of them and has quite a history and stories to tell. In the movie "Walk The Line" an actress played her as she was one of the touring regulars with Johnny Cash.
She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two weeks ago. You can read more about her on her web site.
I have been in touch with Wendell, her husband and done an interview once with Wanda a couple of years ago. She was playing in San Francisco last night, so Becky and I drove up there and met Wanda and Wendell for dinner before the show. Over dinner we got to hear more details of their stories and music and most of all the thrill it was to hear about their faith in Jesus. They are actively involved in their local church back in Oklahoma.
After dinner, we then went to the club that she was playing in and they had us in their guest seats which were right in the middle right up as close to the stage as you possibly could get. It was great seeing her live and although she is in her 70's, her energy and voice could have been back when she was in her twenties.
During the concert, she did something I thought was very cool and very bold to do. She stopped at one point in between songs and talked about her getting various awards through the years and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She said how those are all wonderful and exciting things, but the date that was the most important in her life was in June of 1971 when she became a Christian. She shared that she put faith in Jesus as her Savior and that He has changed her life so, she can't help but let people know. She even apologized as she said she knew they weren't coming to the show to hear about Jesus and it wasn't a Christian event. But she said that she so badly wants to share what great things God has done for her with others and to credit Jesus for her being who she is.
It was interesting as you could tell people weren't expecting her to say that. You don't normally hear a rock performer in a secular venue stop to tell everyone they are Christian and that Jesus is their Savior. But people listened. She was so sincere as she spoke and I think people could tell that. She even told everyone that she knows that people don't come to shows to hear someone say something about Jesus. She didn't ask people if they want to pray right now or anything as that would have been out of place for that venue and purpose. But she handled it beautifully. It was maybe 2 minutes and the message was clear. Putting faith in Jesus is the most important thing she ever did. Jesus is her Savior and changed her life. Because she cares for everyone there, she can't help but want to tell them about it. She even took the time to thank them for listening to that part and then went straight into "I Saw The Light" by Hank Williams. All I know, is that the packed club all got to hear someone a legend and someone they respect and came to see share with everyone of them that Jesus changed her life. She told us at dinner that she does that at every single show. What a cool thing to know she is doing that all across the world as she travels. She does it in way that doesn't come across weird, but because she cares about those there.
I just was honored to have dinner and hang out with Wanda and Wendell and be with someone who was literally in the epicenter of the birth of rock and roll and rockabilly and more importantly in the epicenter of Jesus. It was quite a fun night for Becky and me.....
