Jackie DeShannon
“I’VE always followed my soul,” says Jackie DeShannon. “I grew up singing all kinds of music from many genres, and a lot of people didn’t understand that. It’s not a great way to plan a career, for sure!” The first artist to record classics “Needles & Pins” and “What The World Needs Now Is Love”; the composer of standards such as “When You Walk In The Room”, “Put A Little Love In Your Heart” and “Bette Davis Eyes”; Beatles support act, Van Morrison collaborator, early adopter of Dylan, Ry Cooder and Jimmy Page – DeShannon is indeed a tough artist to categorise. The one-time Kentucky farm girl has been recording since the late ’50s, her music ranging from Memphis soul to folk-pop, gospel to FM rock. Now 79, last year she released her first new material for 20 years, a lilting sea song called “For Isla”.
“I feel that I don’t fit into any box – girl singer, girl songwriter, whatever – that people could define easily,” she says. “You have to do your homework with me! It has made things difficult at times, but it’s been worth it.”
JACKIE DeSHANNON
LIBERTY,1963
Reissued as In The Wind in 1965 with two new tracks, her debut surfs the folk boom, with three Dylan covers among the standards.
There’s a lot of pop-folk in my music. My grandmother’s family are from Scotland and she showed me finger-picking when I was just a toddler. Very early on I played the Ashgrove in Los Angeles, the folky club, and during that time Ry Cooder was one of my band. This album came about because I attended Bob Dylan’s first concert at Town Hall in New York []. I went with Peter, Paul & Mary, they were raving on and on about this great songwriter.] “Walking Down The Line”, and I had great players. I’m happy with the album, it’s just not what I set out to do.
