{{about|the English singer|other people named Kate Jackson|Kate Jackson (disambiguation)}} {{Short description|English singer (born 1979)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Kate Jackson | image = Katerazz3.jpg | caption = Jackson performing with The Long Blondes at the Razzmatazz Pop Bar, Barcelona, late 2006 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|9|16}} | instrument = | genre = Art rock, indie rock, post-punk revival | occupation = Musician, artist | years_active = 2003–present | label = Rough Trade | associated_acts = The Long Blondes | website = | current_members = | past_members = }} '''Kate Jackson''' (born 16 September 1979) is an English singer and artist who was formerly the lead-singer with The Long Blondes. She now performs under the name '''Kate Jackson & The Wrong Moves'''.
==Biography==
Jackson attended Culford School in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and took leading parts in the school's performing arts shows. In the late 1990s, she moved to Sheffield to study English and History. Soon after graduating, Jackson began writing and performing with fellow graduates of the city's universities forming The Long Blondes. Whilst the band were unsigned, she studied fine art and also worked at Freshman's Boutique, a vintage clothing shop in Sheffield. This interest in vintage clothing became a distinctive feature of the image of The Long Blondes. Jackson herself describes her style as "Bonnie Parker meets a Carry On girl".<ref>{{cite web|last=Harries |first=Rhiannon |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/sunday-review/regulars/essentials-kate-jackson-singer-the-long-blondes-810777.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423152725/http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/sunday-review/regulars/essentials-kate-jackson-singer-the-long-blondes-810777.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 April 2008 |title=Essentials: Kate jackson, singer, The long Blondes - Regulars, The New Review |work=The Independent |date=20 April 2008 |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref>
In 2006, Jackson was ranked number seven in NME's Cool List. Despite the number one spot being given to Beth Ditto, of The Gossip, and the 2006 list being equally divided between male and female performers, Jackson responded to this accolade with: "They probably thought they didn't have enough girls. It was so overrun with boring boys, they needed someone to bring a touch of glamour."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/style/story/0,,1670497,00.html The Guardian], accessed 6 February 2007</ref> The ''NME'' described her as having the "arrogant strut of Chrissie Hynde and the acidic tongue of a [[Charles Dickens|[Charles] Dickens]] heroine."<ref>[https://www.nme.com/reviews/7873.htm NME], accessed 6 February 2007</ref>
Jackson is a passionate spokeswoman for Sheffield. In an article in ''The Observer'', she spoke about a project initiated by the magazine ''Go''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dontgo.co.uk/fanzine.php |title=Go sheffo |publisher=Dontgo.co.uk |date= |accessdate=30 January 2012 |archive-date=5 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205222416/http://www.dontgo.co.uk/fanzine.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> called Cooling the Towers which proposed lighting up the former cooling towers at Tinsley to symbolise what Sheffield stands for, rather than demolishing them. "One suggestion was that the towers would light up as cars passed on the M1, one a tower of red lights and one a tower of white. Go Sheffo petitioned the city council with these suggested uses but met with mute response<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2006/sep/17/2 The best-kept arts secrets in Britain], accessed 6 February 2007</ref>". The towers were demolished in 2008.
An archive photo from Jackson's time in The Long Blondes features on the front of Guy Mankowski's book, ''Albion's Secret History: Snapshots of England's Pop Rebels and Outsiders'', published by Zer0 Books in 2021.<ref>[https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/zer0-books/our-books/albions-secret-history-snapshots-englands-pop-rebels-outsiders Zer0 Books], accessed 5 September 2020</ref>
==Solo career== After The Long Blondes split in October 2008, Jackson began working a solo record with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rogers |first=Georgie |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7680509.stm |title=Entertainment | The Long Blondes singer goes solo |publisher=BBC News |date=20 October 2008 |access-date=30 January 2012}}</ref> Songs included are "Velvet Sofa From No.26", "16 Years" and "Dancing In My Bedroom".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.last.fm/music/Kate+Jackson |title=Kate Jackson – Discover music, videos, concerts, stats, & pictures at |publisher=Last.fm |date=11 February 2009 |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref> In March 2010, she published the track "Homeward Bound" on her Myspace page.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/therealkatejackson |title=Kate Jackson | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's |publisher=Myspace.com |date=26 March 2010 |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref>
Jackson was a guest singer on the Scottish band 1990s' ''Kickstrasse'', on their ''Kicks'' album of March 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/1990s/42115 |title=1990s make second album with 'Duffy's producer' | News |publisher=Nme.Com |date=16 January 2009 |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref>
In 2011 she formed the eponymous Kate Jackson Group performing a small number of gigs including a homecoming of sorts to second home of Sheffield at the city's Plug venue.
Later in 2011 double A side single "The Atlantic"/"Wonder Feeling" was released, initially on limited edition vinyl followed by iTunes download in January 2012.
As of September 2015 Jackson also performs in two bands: The Wrong Moves and The Wilsons.<ref name=nme/>
In 2016, her debut album ''British Road Movies'', a collaboration between Jackson and Butler, was released to positive reviews, holding a 76% approval rating on Metacritic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kate Jackson British Road Movies|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/british-road-movies/kate-jackson|website=Metacritic|accessdate=12 June 2016}}</ref>
==Visual art career== Jackson told ''NME'' in September 2015 that she had begun a career as a visual artist, explaining that art had been her "first choice of career" prior to the formation of The Long Blondes.<ref name=nme>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/features/10-years-on-what-are-the-stars-of-2005-indie-doing-now|title=10 Years On: What Are The Stars Of 2005 Indie Doing Now?|date=2 September 2015|accessdate=2 September 2015|work=NME}}</ref> She cites Andy Warhol, Jeffrey Smart and Paul Catherall as influences, and her work focuses mainly on motorways and transport infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jonze |first1=Tim |title=‘Flyovers can be incredibly beautiful!’ Long Blondes singer Kate Jackson’s new career as a motorway artist |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/aug/05/flyovers-long-blondes-singer-kate-jacksons-motorway-artist |website=The Guardian |access-date=13 August 2025 |date=5 August 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [https://myspace.com/therealkatejackson Kate Jackson] on Myspace {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{The Long Blondes}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Kate}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:British women rock singers Category:Musicians from Bury St Edmunds Category:People educated at Culford School Category:Musicians from Sheffield Category:British indie rock musicians Category:21st-century English women singers Category:21st-century English singers Category:21st-century English women painters Category:21st-century English painters Category:British pop artists