R.I.P.: Stonewall Jackson, Longtime Member of Grand Ole Opry

Stonewall Jackson (November 6, 1932 – December 4, 2021)

Stonewall Jackson, a country singer and longtime Grand Ole Opry member known for his now-classic hit "Waterloo," died Saturday at age 89. 

The Tennessean reports Jackson died early Saturday due to complications from vascular dementia, according to a statement from the Opry. 

A classic country performer who charted songs in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, Jackson built his 65-year career on No. 1 hits "Waterloo" and "B.J. The D.J," as well as "A Wound Time Can't Erase," "Don't Be Angry" and his 1958 debut single "Life To Go," written by a young George Jones. 

Born on  Nov. 6, 1932, in Tabor City, North Carolina, Jackson was named after Confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Raised on a south Georgia farm, Jackson at age 10 traded his bike for a guitar and began learning songs, according to his biography. 

After serving in the U.S. Navy, he came to Nashville in 1956, knocking on the door of top publisher Acuff-Rose in hopes of launching a country music career. 

“I came into town, stopped at a little motel on the south side of town, and checked in,” Jackson once said, according to the Grand Ole Opry. Across the street stood Acuff-Rose offices. 

He added, “I said, I believe I’ll walk over there and see if anybody in country music will talk to me.”

He signed with publisher Wesley Rose and began climbing the country music ranks, becoming an Opry member on Nov. 3, 1956 — months before signing a record contract with Columbia. According to the Opry, Jackson worked in shipping for the institution before his career took off,  including shifts where he mailed souvenir books from the basement of the National Life building.  

He wouldn't be shipping collectables for long, though. Jackson's career took off in the late 1950s with "Life To Go" and "Waterloo," the latter spending five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's country chart. The song remains Jackson's best-known, giving listeners a haunting story of three historical men — Biblical figure Adam, Napoleon Bonaparte and Tom Dooley — who "met (their) Waterloo," a nod to death. The song became a crossover hit for Jackson, breaking into the top five on pop charts.  

Jackson regularly performed on the Opry throughout his career.  The Opry dedicated Saturday night's performance to Jackson.