WANDA KENTUCKY JACKSON
Above from Storefront Theater play "Quarters" 1982 photo by Ann Celsi; Wendel [Left], Cylod Phillips [Middle], Woody/Lady Elaine Peacock [Right].
The Legendary Lawanda Jackson
By: Kimberlee Van Patten - via Facebook 9-15-2024
Lawanda got up to answer the phone. It was her mechanic Bobby. He was on his way to pick-up her car to replace the brakes. “No Bobby, you were supposed to come tomorrow (Sunday), today is Saturday”. “I’m already on my way”, Bobby said. “Alright, but I need to get ready for tonight’s show, so I’ll leave the door open”. She hung up the phone and went to brush her teeth. The next thing she remembers, she was lying on the floor as Bobby called her name repeatedly. Bobby dragged her to the living room, “You’ve got to stay awake, you can’t fall asleep” he said, as he propped her up against the sofa with some pillows. Lawanda couldn’t move her left side and all she could think about was “I’m not going to be able to say goodbye to the people who matter the most to me”. While Bobby called 911 with his phone, Lawanda hit the speed dial button for her Mom on hers. Bobby hung up. The ambulance was on the way. He grabbed Lawanda’s phone, explained what was happening to her mom then held the phone to Lawanda’s ear. She remembers her Mother saying “You gotta count baby… don’t stop counting until the paramedics get there, just keep counting baby…”
I suppose we should back-up and start at the beginning...Born at Portland, Oregon’s Emmanuel Hospital on January 22, 1961, Wendall Jackson was one of 5 children, having an older brother and three younger sisters. While the family lived near Irvington Park, they were bused to SE Portland where they attended Woodstock Elementary.
During his early school years, Wendall was beat up, bullied and teased quite regularly. By his own accounts, he was skinny, extremely flamboyant and mouthy. While in middle school, he remembers a neighbor boy who would beat him up after school. This went on for two weeks. One day he arrived home at his Grandmas house and she said “Boy, you look like you’ve been fighting”, to which Wendall replied, “I have been.” He told his Grandma what was going on and she said, “You need to learn how to defend yourself or you’re gonna be running your whole life.” So he resolved to work out on the school monkey bars, doing pull-ups for several weeks to build up his strength. Finally, his Grandma caught him and the neighbor boy and said you two are going to fight it out until somebody wins. She let them tear into each other until it was clear that Wendall had won. Exhausted, she forced them to hug, kiss and make-up. From that day forward, that neighbor boy left him alone.
Wendall’s troubles were not over yet, though. On another occasion, a girl in school began to bully him. When he had finally had enough, he followed her into the school bathroom and dunked her head into the toilet. That earned him a two week suspension. But from then on, Wendall decided he would never quit working out and he would never stop protecting himself. He says “I’ll fight you like an alley cat and I don’t care who you are.”
Wendall spent his freshman year at Franklin High School before enrolling at Jefferson as a sophomore. He loved theater and dance. Earning a spot as a Jefferson Dancer, Wendall studied tap and ballet under the direction of Mary Vinton Folberg (founder of the Jefferson Dancers). He also took African dance workshops with Bobby Fouther and the legendary Alvin Ailey. Alvin took an immediate liking to Wendall and asked if he could take him out for a bite to eat. Wendall said, “You’ve gotta ask my Mom”. So Alvin Ailey called Wendall’s mom to ask for permission to take him to dinner. She agreed and the two became fast friends.
As a sophomore in high school, Wendall met Marc Wilcox at Lloyd Center. The two immediately became best friends. Marc was from an affluent family and didn’t want for anything, except his family’s acceptance that he was gay. But that was something he wasn’t going to get. By this time, Wendall had come out to his family. His Grandmother and his father (a blues musician who played with B.B. King and other luminaries) were much more understanding than his mother. She eventually came around but not before some considerable growing pains. So, Wendall lived with his Grandmother who allowed Marc to move in for a time. Wendall fondly recalls how his Grandmother provided a safe space for him, Marc and their gay friends during this time.
Eventually, Marc became romantically involved with Lanny Swerdlow who owned Mildred’s Palace and then the Metropolis; all-age nightclubs. Lanny also ran a boarding house for young men between NW Everett & NW Flanders on the east side of NW Broadway. Wendall moved into the boarding house before graduating from high school and lived there for several years.
One day, while still in high school, Wendall was downtown and went by Darcelle XV where he saw a sign out front that read “Dancer Auditions”. Wendell pulled the door open and met Roxy LeRoy and Darcelle. He asked if he could audition. Roxy asked, “How old are you?” to which Wendall replied, “I’m 17”. Roxy said, “Well, I’m not sure we can use you as this is a 21+ nightclub, but let’s see what you’ve got”. Wendall jumped up on stage and danced his heart out. Roxy was quite impressed and said, “We can put you in the show, with two conditions: because you are underage, you will have to stay in the light booth when not performing and we will need to get permission from your mom”. Wendall told his mom who gave her consent (not knowing it was a female impersonator bar) and he officially began his career as a professional dancer, right there in Old Town.
Wendall credits Roxy with teaching him much about stage presence, connecting with your audience and how the most successful acts where those with a gimmick. He loved being in and watching the shows with all their glitz and glamour. He watched Darcelle, Roxy, Laurel Andrews, Regine, Pauline, Champagne and Tina Sandel light up the stage night after night. As a member of the cast, he performed as Michael Jackson, Prince and as a back-up dancer. Soon enough though, he began experimenting with make-up, heels and hair.
Although he painted his own face, he credits Roxy with providing good make-up tips and some finishing touches. He considers Darcelle as his “Drag Mother” because she gave him his name. You see, he had been going to the Metropolis for a time and had decided to run for the title of Rosebud III. He asked Darcelle what he should do about a name. Darcelle said, “How about Wanda Kentucky Jackson? You can tell everyone that you are made up of a secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices and that you are finger lickin’ good!”
Now he had a name but had to work up a gimmick to sell Wanda as the winning Rosebud candidate. Drawing on available resources, he went to Mr. Biggs, the Jefferson High School drama teacher, who helped him build a life-size Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket. He dressed two hot guys in Superman costumes. They carried him, inside the bucket, to the center of the stage. On cue, he busted out of the bucket with two live chickens and shouted “I’m Wanda Kentucky Jackson”… the crowd went crazy.
For her talent, she slid into skin-tight pants with glittery stars running up the side, a dolmen top and a big star hat to perform Cheryl Lynn’s “Star Love”. She was a smash and was crowned Rosebud III that night. Wanda performed the same number to win a Jefferson High School talent contest later that year.
By the time Wendall graduated from high school, Wanda had made history as the first drag emcee of the Metropolis, hosting her own regular show. She had also met and become friends with what would become Seattle and Portland drag & trans superstars; Lady Elaine Peacock, Misty Waters, Rosey Waters, Krystal Lynn Benoit, Tony James, CoCo Vaugh, Marci Kraft, Champagne and more.
In the summer of 1979, Wendall received a 2-year scholarship/apprenticeship with Alvin Ailey at the Alvin Ailey School of Dance in New York. Dancers were housed three to four per room in one bedroom apartments in Brooklyn. Wendall would dance all summer with Alvin Ailey then return to Oregon where he was enrolled at the University of Oregon. He remembers being one of very few black actors in all the plays at U of O during the early 80’s. He loved being on stage.
After graduating from the U of O he returned to Portland to his old apartment at Lanny’s place and enrolled in Phagan’s Beauty School. Having been Rosebud as a teenager, Wendall became involved with the Portland Forum and, in 1983, Wanda Kentucky Jackson was crowned Miss Gay Oregon XI along with Mr. Gay Oregon XVI Phil Sparks and the first Ms. Gay Oregon Cheryl (now owner of Cheryl’s on 12th). The three were a dynamic team with Cheryl being the first to represent the lesbian community as a titled member of the Portland Forum and Phil (a ridiculously handsome young man) and Wanda the gorgeous young queen becoming the darlings of the circuit. They traveled to Seattle, Tacoma, Salt Lake City, Denver and all points in-between.
Immediately following her stepping-down as Miss Gay Oregon, Wanda ran for the title of LaFemme Magnifique and came in Runner-up to Champagne. Seeing how much promise she had as a pageant queen, a friend named Crystal Jar, told her about the pageants they had in Texas. Wanda said, “Like the Court?” “No”, Crystal said, “like Miss America pageants for drag queens.” So, Wanda moved to Houston to stay with family and entered her first Miss Houston Pageant. She didn’t win that pageant, but it wasn’t going to stop her from working hard and trying again.
In the meantime, she and Champagne joined forces and began travelling the country as “Ladies of the 80’s”. Their show ran from 1986 to 1992 with engagements from coast to coast. Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Tina Turner, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson were all impersonated in this two-man show.
It was also during this time that she changed her name from Wanda “Kentucky” Jackson to Lawanda Jackson. She doesn’t remember exactly why she decided to change it but does remember she was headlining at the Los Angeles Gay Pride festival. It occurred to her that if she put L.A. in front of Wanda, she would be Lawanda, a name she really liked.
After two years in Texas, Lawanda took a leap that would propel her into the stratosphere. She had a friend who performed ½ & ½ characters at LaCage in Las Vegas, a long-running show hosted by Frank Marino. Her friend was sick with HIV/AIDS and couldn’t fulfill his contract. So he gave Lawanda his costumes and sent her to Vegas in his place.
Lawanda spent the next five years performing three shows a night, six nights a week. She performed as Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie, Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole, Michael & Janet Jackson and Beauty and the Beast, never forgetting her old friend Roxy’s advice that the most successful acts are those with a gimmick!
In 1997, a producer named Greg Thompson came to see the LaCage show and asked to meet with Lawanda after the show. He said, “I really loved your act. Why does your name sound so familiar?” Lawanda said “Because I auditioned for you years ago at Darcelle XV in Portland”. Greg offered to buy Lawanda’s contract from LaCage and send her to Japan to perform in his shows there. Lawanda accepted and was off to Japan, where they ate up her ½ & ½ act.
After two years, Lawanda returned Las Vegas where she re-joined LaCage in a road show that took her to Aruba for a year. In 2000, she was contracted by Jimmy Emerson with Star Pro and she spent six months in Brazil and four months in Vienna, Austria before returning to her home in Houston. Still contracted by Star Pro, she traveled the south visiting Biloxi, New Orleans, Louisiana, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola and other cities on the circuit.
In 2001, while on the road in Mississippi, Lawanda was dealt a hefty blow when she tested positive for HIV. She wasn’t showing any signs of sickness but the doctors said she was down to a single T-cell. She called home and told her family the news. Then she went on to New Orleans, joined an HIV/AIDS advocacy group and began passing out condoms and HIV/AIDS awareness information to male prostitutes, addicts, homeless and other at risk communities.
Over the span of three decades, Lawanda had amassed dozens of titles across five states (see a complete list below). But of these, she is most proud to have been crowned the oldest Miss Gay Texas America, at the age of 50. She went on to become the oldest Miss Gay US of A, winning that title in 2012, at the age of 51.
She has made countless appearances on television shows from a 1984 Town Hall on Portland’s KATU to national shows such as Maury Povich (3 appearances), The Mark Wahlberg Show and others. In 2003, long before RuPaul's Drag Race, she was crowned winner of the first Ricki Lake Drag Idol contest. She was also Tina #1 in the film “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous”. If you search YouTube, you can find dozens of videos of LaWanda Jackson tearing up the stage and/or granting interviews.
In 2014, at the height of her success, she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke; an aneurism on the right side of her brain and a stroke on the left. When she woke up in the hospital, she was paralyzed on her left side. The face that she had sculpted to perfection now drooped and refused to show expression. Her arm and leg were not working and her mind raced with the reality that she was disfigured and may never walk, ride a bike, sing or dance again.
Her father had just become ill and her mother was consumed with his care-giving. So Lawanda’s friends from Amarillo, Texas offered to take her in. Once again, Wendall said, “You’ve gotta ask my Mom”. Mrs. Jackson granted permission for her son’s friends to check him out of the hospital and care for him in Amarillo.
Wendall stayed in Amarillo for two and a half years, undergoing physical and speech therapy under the watchful eyes of his dear friends. He had never been much of a drinker, never did drugs, always tried to eat right and had worked hard to keep his dancer’s body. But recovery was slow and difficult. As his condition improved, he began accepting the new normal and he embraced the fact that while life had thrown him some punches, he was still a fighter. Just like he had taken on that school-yard bully, he was going to fight like an alley cat to bring his body back to its maximum potential. He was convinced that he had a story to tell and that people needed to hear it.
In 2017, Lawanda Jackson took the stage again at the Miss Gay USofA pageant in Dallas, TX. She took the microphone and told her story. She told of her successes, her hardships and how she had fought her way back from HIV/AIDS, an aneurysm and a stroke. She told the audience that the most important thing to her now was her voice. Her voice was all she needed to give hope and inspiration to others who needed the strength to fight their battles and win. She echoed this sentiment as a featured entertainer at Peacock in the Park that same year.
Lawanda currently lives in Las Vegas and is a pageant coach in high demand, all across the country. Contestants say, if you want to win interview, you need to hire Lawanda, she is the best. She had hoped to retire from drag next year, at the age of 60, but the current economy and pandemic may cause her to delay those plans.
I asked how she identifies; what are her chosen pronouns. She says, “I like to meet people where they are. If they refer to me as she, I answer. If they refer to me as he, I answer”. She says, despite the breast implants, she has never wanted to be a woman, stating with a laugh, “I’ve got my mother’s features and my daddy’s fixtures. I never wanted to be a woman, I did it all to be an entertainer.” When asked how she developed her drag persona, she replies “I’m a combination of my grandmother and my Mom. My grandmother was demure but she had a mouth like a sailor. My mother was stern and meticulous. So I am made of both of them.”
She is still able to visit her dear mother in NE Portland a couple times a year and has been the featured entertainer at the Silverado New Year’s Eve show for several years running. She is hopeful COVID won’t dampen this year’s party and that she will be back in Portland soon.
When asked for a final piece of advice, she replies, “Be kind. It is not about what people say to you or about you, it’s about how you respond. Just hold your head high and keep counting baby, just keep on counting!”
Titles and Awards
Miss Gay USofA 2012
Miss Gay Texas USofA 2012
Prelim to Miss Gay USofA
Miss Gay USofA Classic 2009
Overall Winner of Talent and Interview
Miss Gay Texas USofA Classic 2009
Prelim to Miss Gay USofA Classic
1st Alternate to Miss Continental Elite 2008
Miss Scorpio 2008
(Scorpio Lounge – Charlotte, North Carolina)
Miss Texas Continental Elite 2007
Prelim to Miss Continental Elite
Miss Legends 2007
Missouri Entertainer of the Year, F.I. 2005
Prelim to National Entertainer of the Year, F.I.
Miss Gay Florida USofA 2004
Prelim to Miss Gay USofA
1st Alternate to Miss Southwest Continental 2003
Prelim to Miss Continental
Top 5 – Miss Gay USofA 2002
Miss Splash 2002
Miss Rich’s USofA 2001 & 2002
Miss Order of Zeus Pensacola, Florida 2000
Miss Gay Louisiana USofA 1998
Prelim to Miss Gay USofA
1st Alternate to Miss Gay Texas America 1995
Prelim to Miss Gay America
Miss Black Louisiana Universe Emeritus
Miss Houston Emeritus, America
Black Entertainer Emeritus, Texas
Miss Oregon 1980
Miss Rose Bud – Gay Youth – Oregon 1979
*Lawanda is also a former North Carolina Entertainer of the Year, F.I.