“Back then it was a singer’s world,” Jared Deck said of the 1950s and 1960s. “She dictated everything that happened. When you listen to those old recordings you can hear tempo fluctuations based on what the singer wanted.”

As most are aware, it’s 2010. Elvis and Chuck Berry records are antiques, as is the industry that once peddled them. Deck is the lead singer and guitarist for freshly-formed Oklahoma alt-country band Green Corn Revival, who recently undertook an incredible opportunity to experience a bit of history that affected almost every aspect of their lives, both musical and otherwise.

“I’ve listened to her stuff and played her material for a long time,” he said of the First Lady of Rockabilly, Oklahoma’s proudest daughter and red dirt enthusiast Wanda Jackson. “Wanda’s a hero for Natalie [Houck, Deck’s GCR bandmate] and I. We were floored when we were asked to play for her at South By Southwest.”

And play they did. Green Corn Revival took the stage three times at the festival, once backing Jackson on her own show bill, another behind her at the Oklahoma Showcase and a third time with their own act and material.

“The place was packed; people were screaming for her,” Deck said of the first show. "That first night was a different type of atmosphere — it felt like an incredible concert.”

Fourteen songs constituted their set, which spanned the breadth of Jackson’s illustrious career and gifted range from hillbilly rock star to country crooner and gospel singer. It was an eerie privilege for the band — who all hail from rural Oklahoma — to enjoy. Deck was particularly honored to play Jackson’s cover of “Heartbreak Hotel,” a touching nod to a former romance — the King himself, Elvis Presley.

“The way we did it was really slow and really bluesy,” he said. “It was a cool tribute.”

When asked whether or not Jackson’s got a diva mentality stereotypical of many stars, Deck insists that she’s a humble Oklahoma girl, albeit one with expectations consistent with her decades in the music industry.

“She is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, so she has standards and you’ve got to meet them, but she was very polite about it,” he said. “If she didn’t like the way the drummer was swinging the beat, we’d fix it. She was incredibly nice to work with."

Jackson also mentioned working with Jack White of the White Stripes, who produced her most recent album, Deck said.

“He’s such a nice young man, and very creative,” Jackson said of the famed Detroit guitarist.

Green Corn Revival is set to release “Say You’re a Sinner,” its debut album, soon.