Former Grand Ole Opry star Stonewall Jackson has entertained country music fans for decades. In this exclusive interview with Suite101 Stonewall looks back on his career.

Stonewall Jackson, best known for such number one country music hits as "Waterloo" and "Stamp Out Loneliness," is still picking and singing. His current band, Stonewall Jackson and The Minute Men -- with son, Stonewall Jackson Jr. (a.k.a. "Turp"), on drums -- continues to tour. Stonewall lives on a country spread in Brentwood, Tennessee, which includes his very own 9-acre Lake Waterloo. His wife, Juanita, still serves as his personal manager and operates the family music publishing company, Turp Tunes.

His Real Name, Stonewall Jackson

Suite101: For the record, your full name is...?

Jackson: "Stonewall Jackson."

Suite 101: Where did you learn to play the guitar and sing?

Jackson: "South Georgia."

George D. Hay, Ernest Tubb, Wesley Rose Major Influences

Suite 101: What person or persons were most instrumental in your country music career?

Jackson: "G.D. Hay and Ernest Tubb and Wes Rose."

Suite 101: What performers have you most enjoyed working with?

Jackson: "Carl Smith, Ferlin Husky, Webb Pierce, Tex Ritter, Red Foley, George Jones, Wilburn Brothers, Jimmy Dickens, Jean Shepard, Kitty Wells & Johnnie Wright, Hank Thompson, Lefty Frizzell."

Suite 101: Who are your favorite artists, the ones you like to kick back and listen to most often?

Jackson: "Hank Williams."

Suite 101: You have recorded and written many songs. Do you have any favorites?

Jackson: "'Don't Be Angry,' 'Why I'm Walkin',' 'Wound Time Can't Erase,' 'Tool Box.'"

I Love A Song Favorite Album

Suite 101: Of the albums you have recorded, does any one really stand out as the definitive Stonewall Jackson?

Jackson: "I Love a Song" [Columbia, 1963].

Suite 101: What are some of the countries you have traveled to during your long career?

Jackson: "Just about every country that you can get into."

Suite 101: Is there any particular performance abroad which truly stands out as memorable?

Jackson: "Sweden Tour, Switzerland Tour. Voted #1 Artist in the Caribbean."

Suite 101: What was the reaction to your 1991 autobiography, From the Bottom Up?

Jackson: "It was a great seller and I am going to get it in hardback, in the near future."

Suite 101: Of today's current country music stars, do you have any favorites?

Jackson: "Alan Jackson and George Strait."

Autograph Requests, Grand Ole Opry

Suite 101: Do you sign autographs through the mail? If so, do you limit the number of items per person?

Jackson: "Yes and no."

Suite 101: What is the strangest autograph request you have ever received?

Jackson: "I sign bald heads and always have to throw away the pen because the grease ruins it!"

Suite 101: Are there any items you refuse to sign?

Jackson: "Absolutely, private parts and wet napkins."

Suite 101: It's been a long and remarkable career. How has the ride been so far?

Jackson: "Great, precious."

Suite 101: What is the proudest moment in your country music career?

Jackson: "November 3, 1956, when I became a member of the Grand Ole Opry."

Suite 101: Are there any current projects your fans should know about?

Jackson: "Yes, I have a Bear Family Box set and a Stonewall Jackson and Super Friends: A Tribute CD, 50 stars on 23 songs." [Note: The Super Friends CD is a real treasure, featuring Stonewall along with such country music stars as Bill Anderson, Tanya Tucker, Chet Atkins, Alison Krauss, Hank Snow, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, Roy Acuff, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart and Jim Ed Brown.]

Stonewall Jackson, Country Music Hall of Fame-Bound?

The youngest of three children, Stonewall Jackson, born November 6, 1932, in Tabor City, North Carolina, was signed in 1956 as a regular on Nashville's famous WSM Grand Ole Opry. From 1958 to 1971, Stonewall scored 35 Top 40 country music hits, including "Life to Go" (1958), "Waterloo" (1959), "Why I'm Walkin'" (1960), "A Wound Time Can't Erase" (1961), "B.J. the D.J." (1963), "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" (1964), "Help Stamp Out Loneliness" (1967) and "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" (1971).

Good enough for induction into Nashville's hallowed Country Music Hall of Fame? Many believe so.

Listen closely, and you can hear Stonewall Jackson's first recording, "Don't Be Angry," drifting in from 1957...

Additional Source

Stonewall Jackson's website