Song:Waterloo
Album:Original Greatest Hits
Honky tonk singer Stonewall Jackson is a long time member of The Grand Ole Opry and had most of his success in the 60s. Waterloo crossed over to the pop charts in 1959. He was born Nov. 6, 1932 in Tabor City, NC. Stonewall is his real name. His family claimed to be descendants of Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. His dad died when he was two and mom moved the family to her brother's farm in Georgia. Jackson was in the US Navy from 1950-54 and moved to Nashville in 1956. He signed with Acuff-Rose publishing owner Wesley Rose and was the first artist to join The Grand Ole Opry before signing a record contract. After touring with Ernest Tubb, Jackson signed with Columbia Records in 1958. His breakthrough hit was the George Jones song Life To Go. It reached #2 on the Country Singles chart. The next single Waterloo not only topped the country chart in 1959. But it also reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his biggest hit and his signature song. The song was written by legendary songwriters John D. Loudermilk and Marijohn Wilkin. Loudermilk is best known for writing Tobacco Road and plenty of other songs. Wilkin was known as The Den Mother Of Music Row. Her best known song was the 1980 Christy Lane monster hit One Day At A Time. Her son Bucky Wilkin was the leader of Ronny & The Daytonas. She was a major figure in the music publishing business in Nashville. Jackson's only other number one country hit was B.J. The D.J. in 1964. But he had plenty of top ten hits until he left Columbia in 1971. You can get them all on this comp from the reissue label Real Gone Music. Jackson last recorded in 1983. But he continued to perform. He sued The Grand Ole Opry in 2006 after GM Pete Fisher threatened to get rid of all the old people. The lawsuit was settled out of court and Jackson returned to the Opry. Jackson and his wife live on a farm outside Nashville. Here's Stonewall Jackson performing Waterloo in the 60s.
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