About Jackie

    Ever hear the old saying that the really great musicians are never really appreciated until they die?  Well, Jackie is living proof.  Don't be like 99.9% of the population and find out why after she dies.  Come see her now!  Jackie performs across America at numerous venues.  She'll be updating her schedule soon so check back in a few days.  If you can't travel to see her soon, do the next best thing (actually, I think Jackie makes more money if you do this, so it may be the first best thing).  BUY A CD!  I promise, it will be worth it.  This AWESOME CD is not available on TV and as a result, doesn't cost $19.95.  It's a steal at $15 plus S&H.  Order today! ~  Jackie graduated with a degree in music from The University of Mississippi.  She initially made a name for herself performing at Pat O'Briens in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  It was here she honed her entertainment skills while performing in the dueling piano style made famous at Pat O'Brien's.  She can be contacted at jackiebankston58@aol.com.

JACKIE PEARSON BANKSTON
Princess of the Piano

Jackie began her professional career in August of 1980, just a few short months after graduating from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Theory and Composition.  In the last 27 years, she hasn't stopped.

After playing in pubs, piano bars, restaurants and hotels throughout the mid-South in the early 80's, Jackie landed a job at the prestigious Pat O'Brien's (the world's first and longest lasting two piano club) in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Jackie spent 7 years in and out of New Orleans at the dueling gig.  In 1990, she was one of three women to recreate that scene at the Rio Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  The act played the hotel for 4 months.  In 1991, Jackie began her worldwide treks, playing hotel piano bars throughout Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Bahrain and Thailand.  In between her Scandinavian treks in 1992-1994 she joined the team at the first franchise of Pat O'Brien's, opened in Cancun, Mexico.  Winters in Cancun, summers in Sweden.  Hmmmm....not a bad way to live!  In the summer of 1996 Jackie joined several other players to start a dueling show at the Panama City Brewery and Cafe in Panama City, Florida and was a member of that successful team until the summer of 1998.  Twice more, Jackie entertained in Las Vegas in dueling acts, at the Naughty Ladies Saloon at Arizona Charlie's Hotel and Casino and at Main Street Station.

From the fall of 1998 until the fall of 2001, Jackie was busy keeping folks on the river smiling.  As an Engine Room Bar entertainer onboard the American Queen, of the famed Delta Queen Steamboat Company, she traveled the rivers of the heartland of America, telling jokes and serenading the passengers up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  In 2000, she released her first cd and launched her website, www.jackiebankston.com

In January of 2002, Jackie embarked on yet another exciting adventure - a 13-week stint as a solo performer onboard the Wind Spirit, a 4-masted sailing schooner of Wind Star Cruise Lines.  She entertained on cruises from Costa Rica, through the Panama Canal, touching a few countries along the northernmost tip of South America, and on over to the Caribbean to begin her island hopping! 

After her return to the U.S., she rejoined the dueling circuit, putting in appearances at DJ's Dugout in Omaha, Nebraska, and at Bricktown Keys in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, until she returned to the rivers in January of 2003.  

Jackie recorded her second cd during 2003, a live performance onboard the American Queen, entitled “It’s Me Again” and filled with her unmistakable style of humor.  Her shows on the American Queen developed from a concept of having theme nights.  Jackie took these theme nights and turned them into full-blown shows filled with music and jokes.  Her favorites are country night, full of redneck humor, and 70’s night, full of MALE BASHING jokes !

2004 had Jackie once again rolling on the river and entertaining passengers in the Engine Room Bar aboard the American Queen.  She returned to that stage for another season with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company in 2005, finishing that season performing on their vessel the Mississippi Queen with a trio in the famed Paddlewheel Lounge.

Jackie was the featured entertainment for the Miss. Business Journal’s Woman of the Year luncheon in January of 2005, where she performed and spoke about being a successful businesswoman.  She was also a headliner for Senior Citizens’ Day at the Miss. State Fair in October of that same year.

In 2006, she decided to discover the Pacific Northwest and spread her wings a little.  Her work took her to the Empress of the North, another riverboat.  This one traveled the Columbia, Snake and Willamette Rivers through Oregon, Idaho and Washington. The summer season was spent cruising the inside passage of Alaska.  This vessel was a part of American West Steamboat Company.  However, during 2006 both American West and Delta Queen were purchased by Ambassadors International and joined together to form a new small ship luxury line known as Majestic America Line.  The company now has 9 vessels under their umbrella so there is no telling where Jackie will be at any given time!  Be sure to check the schedule on her website!

2007 has started off with a bang onboard the Empress of the North and the spring will find her back in the heartland of this great country, once again on the American Queen.

Along with her fulltime performance schedule onboard the vessel, Jackie performs for private parties, corporate functions and casinos throughout the country.  You can find her schedule of performance dates, personal info and favorite pictures at her website  www.jackiebankston.com.   You won’t want to miss her, so check her calendar on the website often to find when she will be performing near you.