Jackson, Cordell (1923—)

views updated

Jackson, Cordell (1923—)

American guitarist and rockabilly star. Born Cordell Miller in Pontotoc, Mississippi, in 1923.

Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, in 1923, Cordell Jackson was a talented performer who played guitar, wrote her own material, ran her own record label, and avoided the mainstream because she valued her freedom. As a teenager, Jackson performed with her father's band, the Pontotoc Ridge Runners. In 1943, after graduating from high school, she made her way to Memphis, where she joined the Fisher Air Craft Band. In 1956, Jackson launched her own record label, Moon Records, with her hit single "Rock 'n' Roll Christmas" with "Beboppers' Christmas" on the flip side. While holding down a series of outside jobs, she continued to produce records by outside performers as well as her own. Notable among her hits was "Football Widow" and a 1983 album Knockin' 60. She also produced a contemporary Christian radio show, "Let's Keep the Family Together, America." Jackson enjoyed some popularity in 1991 when she performed a dueling guitar sequence with Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats in a Budweiser beer commercial.

About this article

Jackson, Cordell (1923—)

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article