Roger Erickson; Courtesy of 2911 Enterprises
Joan Jett will serve as producer of an upcoming studio album by a fellow female Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Wanda Jackson, known as the Queen of Rockabilly. Jett and Jackson currently are in Nashville working on the as-yet-untitled project, which is expected to be released next year.
“The songs on this project are very dear to my heart, as a lot of them are based on my own life experiences,” says the 80-year-old Jackson, who was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2009. “I’m really looking forward to sharing what Joan and I have been working on.”
Not known for composing her own tunes, Wanda has been collaborating with a variety of respected Nashville songwriters on the material for the new album, including Pistol Annies member Angaleena Presley.
Jackson, who briefly dated Elvis Presley during the 1950s, was encouraged by the rock ‘n’ roll legend to change her style from country to rockabilly. She scored several pop hits during the early 1960s, including “Let’s Have a Party,” before returning to her country roots later in the decade.
Jett isn’t the first contemporary rocker to shine a spotlight on Jackson. Jack White produced and played on Jackson’s 2011 album, The Party Ain’t Over, which he released on his own Third Man Records label. The album rose as high as #17 on the Billboard rock albums chart and #58 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Meanwhile, Jett and her band, The Blackhearts, have a number of upcoming North American tour dates lined up:
7/21 — Walker, MN, Moondance Jam
7/24 — Indianapolis, IN, Vans Warped Tour
7/26 — Lac du Flambeau, WI, Lake of the Torches Resort Casino
7/28 — Medicine Hat, AB, Canada, Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede
8/3 — Bethlehem, PA, Musikfest 2018 (with Styx)
8/4 — Kingston, NY, Ulster Performing Arts Center
8/8 — Cedar Rapids, IA, McGrath Amphitheater
8/9 — Moorhead, MN, Bluestem Center for the Arts Amphitheater (with Halestorm)
8/12 — Springfield, IL, Illinois State Fair (with Foreigner)
8/16 — Saratoga, CA, Mountain Winery
8/18 — Primm, NV, Star of the Desert Arena
8/19 — Jackson, CA, Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort
8/31 — Pueblo, CO, Colorado State Fair
9/2 — Tuscon, AZ, Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater
9/7 — Madera, CA, Madera District Fair
9/18 — Airway Heights, WA, Northern Quest Resort & Casino (with Cheap Trick)
9/19 — Puyallup, WA, Washington State Fair
9/22 — San Antonio, TX, River City Rockfest – AT&T Center
10/26 — Rahway, NJ, Union County Performing Arts Center
10/27 — Red Bank, NJ, Count Basie Theater
12/16 — Northfield, OH, Hard Rock Live
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