Stonewall drove to Nashville in his pick-up truck. When Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose Publishing Company heard him, he called his friend George Hay, “The Solemn Old Judge”, at the Grand Old Opry. Mr. Rose sent Stonewall down to WSM Radio to see the Judge. Stonewall became the first and only unknown artist ever signed to the Grand Ole Opry. With his natural singing abilities, he quickly became a star. Through his friendship with Ernest Tubb, he went on to his first round of personal appearances, and then Columbia Records introduced him to a whole new listening public.
“Life To Go” became his first Number 1 hit record in 1959 and the next year, he followed with his classic “Waterloo”. These were just the first of many number one hits including, “I Wash My Hands In Muddy Water”, “A Wound Time Can’t Erase”, “B.J. the D.J.”, “Why I’m Walking”, and “Don’t Be Angry”, to name just a few. “Waterloo” was number 1 on the pop and country charts.
Through the years, the legendary Stonewall Jackson (It is his real name, by the way) has traveled from coast to coast and border to border to entertain hundreds of thousands of true Country Music fans! He’s also entertained those same fans as a regular member of the world famed Grand Ole Opry. His travels have been through out the world.
More and more of the public is enjoying the unique Stonewall Jackson style. His new albums are always great sellers.
Stonewall and his lovely wife Juanita, live in a comfortable farm atmosphere in Brentwood, Tennessee, overlooking a nine acre lake named, appropriately, “Lake Waterloo”. Juanita is his personal manager and operates his song publishing company, Turp Tunes. That company, by the way is named after his son, Stonewall Jackson Jr., whose nickname is Turp. Turp now performs as a drummer with Stonewall’s band, and takes care of the big bus that Stonewall and The Minute Men use for their personal appearances around the country.
So there you have it-the living legend! Singer, guitarist, song writer, genuine star and talented human being-STONEWALL JACKSON!
By Bob Neal
When you speak about the living legends of Country Music, you can’t overlook STONEWALL JACKSON! The story of his career measures up to the most unusual fictional accounts that a writer could imagine, but it’s all true!
Born in Tabor City, North Carolina, the youngest of three children. He lost his father when he was only two years old. His mother decided to move to South Georgia, to her brother-in-law’s farm where the opportunity for work seemed better. Because times were hard, the family hitch hiked to Georgia. After years of hard work on the farm, he changed his birth records and joined the Army at 16, but when they discovered his real age, he was released. However, at 17 he went and joined the Navy.
During the time he was in the Navy, he learned how to pick a guitar and sing. By the time he received his discharge in 1954, he decided that music was to be his career!
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