Artist Biography
With his gravel-filled vocals and piano-pounding antics, Roddy Jackson was sort of a West Coast version of Jerry Lee Lewis in the late 1950s, and although his career never took off into the stratosphere, his legacy was a solid one, and he was one of the last true rockabilly pioneers still at work in the 21st century. After briefly fronting the Blue Notes, he became a solo act, with Specialty releasing three Jackson singles in 1958 and 1959, all produced by Sonny Bono: "I've Got My Sights on Someone New"/"Love at First Sight," the double-sided classic "Hiccups"/"Moose on the Loose," and "Any Old Town"/"Gloria." Ace Records eventually released what amounts to Jackson's collected recorded work as Central Valley Fireball in 2007. At the time, Jackson was still doing occasional local shows and playing the oldies and festival circuits. He died in 2022 at the age of 80.
Hometown
Fresno, CA, United States
Genre
Pop