Waylon Jennings
Encyclopedia
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music
singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly
arranged Jennings' first recording session, of "Jolie Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)". Holly hired Jennings to play bass. Jennings unintentionally missed flying with Holly, The Big Bopper
and Ritchie Valens
on the charter flight that killed them
. Before takeoff, responding to a joke by Holly about the bus trip that Jennings faced, Jennings told him that he hoped his plane crashed.
He worked as a D.J in Coolidge, Arizona
and Phoenix
. He formed a rockabilly
club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent label Trend Records, A&M Records
before succeeding with RCA Records
after achieving creative control of his records.
During the 1970s, Jennings joined the Outlaw movement
. He released critically acclaimed albums Lonesome, On'ry and Mean
and Honky Tonk Heroes
, followed by hit albums Dreaming My Dreams
and Are You Ready for the Country
. In 1976 he released the album Wanted! The Outlaws
with Willie Nelson
, Tompall Glaser
and Jessie Colter, the first platinum country music album. That album's success was followed by Ol' Waylon
, and the hit song "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
". By the early 1980s, Jennings was struggling with a cocaine
addiction. Later Jennings joined the country supergroup
The Highwaymen
with Nelson, Kris Kristofferson
and Johnny Cash
. During that period, Jennings released the successful album, Will the Wolf Survive
. Jennings toured less after 1997, to spend more time with his family. Between 1999 and 2001, his appearances were limited by health problems. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died from complications of diabetes.
Jennings also appeared in movies and television series. He was the narrator for The Dukes of Hazzard
. In 2001 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2007 he was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music
.
, the seat of Lamb County, the son of Lorene Beatrice (née Shipley) and William Alvin Jennings. His original birth name was Wayland, meaning land by the highway, but it was changed after a Baptist preacher visited Jennings' parents and congratulated his mother for naming him after the Wayland Baptist University
in Plainview, Texas
. Lorene Jennings, who had been unaware of the college, changed the spelling to Waylon. Jennings later expressed in his autobiography "I didn't like Waylon. It sounded corny and hillbilly, but it's been good to me, and I'm pretty well at peace with it right now." When Jennings was eight, his mother bought him his first guitar, a Harmony Patrician
, and taught him to play. Jennings never learned to read music, but he practiced to seek a career in music, to avoid a possible future picking cotton.
, often was not well received. At seventeen, Jennings and band recorded a demo of the songs "Stranger in My Home" and "There'll Be a New Day" at KFYO
radio in Lubbock, Texas
. Besides of performing on air for KVOW, Jennings later worked as a D.J for the station. Jennings dropped out of high school
in tenth grade to pursue music. His early influences were Bob Wills
, Floyd Tillman
, Ernest Tubb
and Elvis Presley
. In his biography Jennings described the first time he heard Presley singing "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky
": "The sound went straight up your spine. The way he sang, the singer sounded black, but something about the songs was really country". He moved to Lubbock, where he initially worked for KDAV
, and later for KLLL
, Jennings' show was successful in both venues.
In 1958, Jennings met Buddy Holly
during the broadcasts of "Sunday Party" at KDAV, looking for a start in record production. On September 10, Jennings recorded the songs "Jolie Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)", with Holly and Tommy Allsup
on guitars with saxophonist King Curtis
. The single was released on Brunswick in 1959 with limited success. Holly then hired Jennings to play electric bass for him during his "Winter Dance Party Tour".
After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa
, Holly chartered a plane for himself, Allsup and Jennings to avoid a long bus trip to Fargo, North Dakota
. Allsup lost a coin toss to Ritchie Valens
for his seat on the plane, while Jennings gave up his seat to J. P. Richardson
, who was suffering from a cold and complaining about how uncomfortable a long bus trip was for a man of his size. Holly jokingly told Jennings, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up!". Jennings replied, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes!" During the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, later known as The Day the Music Died
, the charter crashed outside Clear Lake, killing all on board. Jennings and Allsup continued the tour for two more weeks, featuring Jennings as the lead singer. Jennings later admitted that he felt severe guilt
and responsibility for the crash, and that his words would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He later returned to KLLL and performed regionally. He released recordings under Trend Records
, and experienced moderate success with his single "Another Blue Day".
working in radio, before moving to Phoenix
, where he formed a rockabilly band, The Waylors. Jennings and his band performed at a newly opened nightspot called JD's. The band earned a small fan base, eventually signing with the independent label Trend Records. The recordings were not successful and Jennings began working as a record producer. In 1963, he moved to Los Angeles, California
where he signed a contract with Herb Alpert
of A&M Records
.
His records had little success, because A&M's main releases were folk music
rather than country. He had a few hits on local radio in Phoenix, including Ian Tyson
's "Four Strong Winds
" and "Just To Satisfy You" (co-written with Don Bowman). He also recorded an album on BAT called JD's. After 500 copies were sold at the club, another 500 copies were pressed by the Sounds label. He also played lead guitar for Patsy Montana
on a 1964 album. Alpert tried to shift Jennings' style from country to pop, but Jennings refused. After his only single, "Sing the Girl a Song, Bill", Alpert released Jennings.
Singer Bobby Bare
, who covered Jennings' songs "Four Strong Winds" and "Just To Satisfy You", recommended Jennings to producer Chet Atkins
, who signed Jennings to RCA Victor in 1965.
In 1966, Jennings released his debut album for RCA Folk-Country
, followed by Leavin' Town
, and Nashville Rebel
. Nashville rebel was the soundtrack
to an independent film of the same name
, starring Jennings. In 1967, Jennings released a hit single, "Just to Satisfy You
". During an interview, Jennings stated, "The song is a pretty good example of the influence that working with Buddy Holly had on me. This has probably influenced me a lot; you know, what they used to call Rockabilly". During the next years, Jennings produced mid-chart albums that sold well, including Just to Satisfy You
, that included the same-named hit single of 1967.
In 1970, Jennings released Ladies Love Outlaws
. The single that headlined the album became a hit for Jennings, and was his first approach to Outlaw Country
. Jennings was accustomed to performing and recording with his own band, The Waylors; a practice that was not encouraged by powerful Nashville producers. Over time, however, Jennings felt limited by the Nashville sound
's lack of artistic freedom. The music style publicized as "Countrypolitan" was characterized by orchestral arrangements, and the absence of traditional country music instruments. The producers did not let Jennings play his own guitar, or select material to record.
-afflicted Jennings accepted an offer from Neil Reshen to renegotiate his recording and touring contracts. At a meeting in a Nashville airport, Jennings introduced Reshen to Willie Nelson
. By the end of the meeting, Reshen had become manager to both singers. Jennings' new deal gained him a $75,000 advance and artistic control. Reshen advised Jennings to keep the beard that he had grown in the hospital, in order to match the image of outlaw country.
By 1973, Nelson had returned to music, finding success with Atlantic Records
. Now based in Austin, Texas
, Nelson had made inroads into the rock and roll press by attracting a diverse fan base that included the rock music audience. Atlantic Records was now attempting to sign Jennings, but Nelson's rise to popularity persuaded RCA to renegotiate with Jennings before losing another potential success.
He followed with Lonesome, On'ry and Mean
and Honky Tonk Heroes
in 1973, the first albums recorded and released under his creative control. The albums were commercial and critical successes. More hit albums followed, with The Ramblin' Man and This Time, in 1974, and Dreaming My Dreams, in 1975. In 1976, Jennings released Are You Ready for the Country
, Jennings wanted the record to be produced by Los Angeles producer Ken Mansfield
. Although RCA denied the request, Jennings and The Waylors went to Los Angeles and recorded with Mansfield at his expense. After a month, Jennings presented the master tape to Chet Atkins
who decided to release it. The album hit number one on Billboard
s country albums three times the same year, topping the charts for ten weeks. It was named country album of the year in 1976 by Record World Magazine and it was certified gold by the RIAA.
In 1976 Jennings released the album Wanted! The Outlaws
, recorded with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessie Colter for RCA. The album was the first country music album certified platinum
. The following year, RCA issued Ol' Waylon
, an album that produced a hit duet with Nelson, "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
." Jennings, who never liked the song, later commented: "It's not the type of song I'd do. But I learned a lesson from that, I turned around and told Richie (his drummer), I said, Next time when I record a song, you remind me I have to sing that sumbitch the rest of my life". The album Waylon and Willie followed in 1978, producing the hit single, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
". Jennings released I've Always Been Crazy
, also in 1978, and Greatest Hits
the following year.
. Aside from his work with The Highwaymen, Jennings' released a gold album WWII
(1982) with Willie Nelson.
In 1985 Jennings joined with USA for Africa
to record "We Are the World
", but he left the studio due to a dispute over the song's lyrics that were sung in Swahili
. By this time, his sales decreased. After the release of Sweet Mother Texas
, Jennings signed with Music Corporation of America
. The debut release with the label, Will the Wolf Survive
(1985), peaked at number one in Billboard's Country albums in 1986. Jennings' initial success tailed off, and in 1990, he signed with Epic Records
. His first release, The Eagle
, became his final top ten album. In 1993, in collaboration with Rincom Children's Entertainment, Jennings recorded an album of children's songs, Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals & Dirt
, which included "Shooter's Theme", a tribute to his 14-year-old with the theme of "a friend of mine".
Despite low record sales, Jennings attracted large audiences in live appearances. In 1997, after the Lollapalooza
tour, he decreased his tour schedule and became centered on his family.
In 1998, Jennings teamed up with Bare, Jerry Reed
and Mel Tillis
to form The Old Dogs
. The group recorded a double album of songs penned entirely by Shel Silverstein
.
In mid 1999, Jennings assembled what he referred to as his "hand-picked dream team" – and formed Waylon & The Waymore Blues Band. Consisting primarily of former Waylors, the thirteen-member group performed a limited number of concerts from 1999 to 2001. In January of 2000, Jennings recorded what would become his final album at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium
, Never Say Die: Live
.
, an independent production shot in Nashville. Jennings portrayed Alvin Grove, a local singer on his way to stardom. Jennings next appeared in the movies All American Cowboy, and The Oklahoma City Dolls. Outside the music industry, Jennings was known as the primary voice of the narrator/balladeer on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard
and its predecessor, the 1975 film, Moonrunners
. The theme song, "Good Ol' Boys", an original Jennings composition, became one of the most well-known television theme songs in American television history. In 1986 he appeared in the movie Stagecoach, portraying Hatfield, alongside Cash, Nelson and Kristofferson.
Jennings made an appearance on Married... with Children
, and played a truck drive in the 1985 film, Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird
. Jennings sang "Ain't No Road Too Long" in the movie with Big Bird
and the other Sesame Street
characters.
In 2000, he provided the voice of Judge Thatcher in the animated adaptation of Tom Sawyer
. In an episode of The Angry Beavers
entitled The Legend of Kid Friendly that aired in April 1999, Jennings provided the voice for the narrator/singer. In 2001, Jennings voiced a character in an episode of Family Guy
for a Dukes of Hazzard parody (his last televised appearance). The episode was entitled "To Love and Die in Dixie". The episode originally aired that November. He also narrated a watch fight in an earlier episode, "Chitty Chitty Death Bang
".
, on October 26, 1969 to Jessi Colter. Colter and Jennings had one son, Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings. Colter had one daughter, Jennifer, from her previous marriage. Jennings' grandson, William "Struggle" Harness, became a rap/hip hop
artist, based out of Nashville.
In 1997, he stopped touring to be close to his family. To set an example about the importance of education to his son Waylon Albright, Jennings earned a GED
.
s at the time he lived with Johnny Cash during the mid-1960s. Jennings later stated, "Pills were the artificial energy on which Nashville ran around the clock". In 1977, Jennings was arrested by federal agents for conspiracy and 'possession of cocaine
with intent to distribute'. A private courier warned the Drug Enforcement Administration
about the package sent to Jennings by a New York colleague that contained twenty-seven grams of cocaine. The DEA and the police went to Jennings' recording studio. They found no evidence, because while they were waiting for a search warrant
, Jennings flushed the cocaine. The charges were later dropped and Jennings was released. The episode was recounted in Jennings' song "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Outta Hand?"
During the early 1980s, his cocaine addiction intensified. Jennings claimed to have spent US$1500 daily to satisfy his addiction, draining his personal finances and leaving him bankrupt with debt of up to US$2.5 million. Though he insisted on repaying the debt and did additional tours to earn the funds, his work became less focused and his tours deteriorated. Jennings decided to quit his addictions, leased a home in the Phoenix, Arizona
area and spent a month detoxing
himself, intending to start using cocaine again in a more controlled fashion afterward. In 1984 he quit cocaine. By Jennings' own admission in interviews, his son, Shooter Jennings
, was the main inspiration to quit permanently.
s daily. In 1988 he underwent heart bypass surgery. By 2000 his diabetes worsened, and the pain reduced his mobility, forcing Jennings to end most touring. Later the same year he went under surgery to improve his leg circulation. In December 2001 his left foot was amputated at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona
. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died in his sleep of diabetic complications in Chandler, Arizona
. Jennings was buried in the Mesa City Cemetery, in Mesa, Arizona
. At the funeral ceremony, on February 15, Colter sang "Storms Never Last" for the attendees, who included Jennings' close friends and fellow musicians.
In October 2001, Jennings was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In one final act of defiance, he did not attend the ceremony and opted instead to send son Buddy Dean Jennings. On July 6, 2006, Jennings was inducted to Hollywood's Rock Wall in Hollywood, California. On June 20, 2007, Jennings was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music
.
In 2006, Jennings received a tribute from actors John Schneider
, Tom Wopat
, and Catherine Bach
(Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke). Schneider, Wopat, and Bach reworked and rerecorded the Theme from "The Dukes of Hazzard" (Good Ol' Boys). They made a video for the song, which appeared on the season seven Dukes of Hazzard
DVD set. The song ends with Daisy (Catherine Bach) saying, "We love you, Waylon,".
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
arranged Jennings' first recording session, of "Jolie Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)". Holly hired Jennings to play bass. Jennings unintentionally missed flying with Holly, The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
and Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
on the charter flight that killed them
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
. Before takeoff, responding to a joke by Holly about the bus trip that Jennings faced, Jennings told him that he hoped his plane crashed.
He worked as a D.J in Coolidge, Arizona
Coolidge, Arizona
Coolidge is a city in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 8,154.Arizona Highway 87 and Arizona Highway 287 pass through the town. Coolidge is 56 miles southeast of Phoenix, and 69 miles northwest of Tucson. It is 21 miles...
and Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. He formed a rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent label Trend Records, A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
before succeeding with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
after achieving creative control of his records.
During the 1970s, Jennings joined the Outlaw movement
Outlaw country
Outlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
. He released critically acclaimed albums Lonesome, On'ry and Mean
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1973. It was, after Good Hearted Woman and Ladies Love Outlaws, the third in a series of albums which were to establish Jennings as one of the most prominent representatives of the country movement, reaching #8 on...
and Honky Tonk Heroes
Honky Tonk Heroes
Honky Tonk Heroes is an album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1973 on RCA Victor. With the exception of the tenth and final track, all of the songs on the album were originally written or co-written by Billy Joe Shaver, who helped shape Jennings' movement in the direction of outlaw country...
, followed by hit albums Dreaming My Dreams
Dreaming My Dreams
Dreaming My Dreams is an country music album released by Waylon Jennings on RCA Victor in 1975. The first of several number one records, it was released to great critical acclaim and considerable commercial success....
and Are You Ready for the Country
Are You Ready for the Country
Are You Ready for the Country is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1976. Its title track is a song from Neil Young's seminal 1972 album Harvest...
. In 1976 he released the album Wanted! The Outlaws
Wanted! The Outlaws
Wanted! The Outlaws is an album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released in RCA Victor in 1976, and consisting of previously released material. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by...
with Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Tompall Glaser
Tompall Glaser
Tompall Glaser is an American country music artist. Active since the 1950s, he has recorded both as a solo artist and with his brothers Chuck and Jim in the trio Tompall & the Glaser Brothers...
and Jessie Colter, the first platinum country music album. That album's success was followed by Ol' Waylon
Ol' Waylon
Ol' Waylon is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1977. It plays to Jennings' established outlaw country image. The album features one of his signature songs, a track featuring Willie Nelson called "Luckenbach, Texas ", as well as the Neil Diamond song "Sweet Caroline", a version...
, and the hit song "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
"Luckenbach, Texas " is a popular song sung by Waylon Jennings released in April 1977, at the height of outlaw country on the hit album Ol' Waylon...
". By the early 1980s, Jennings was struggling with a cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addiction. Later Jennings joined the country supergroup
SuperGroup
SuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1 that follows five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together...
The Highwaymen
The Highwaymen (country supergroup)
The Highwaymen were an American supergroup comprising four country music artists well known for, among other things, their involvement and pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson...
with Nelson, Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
and Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. During that period, Jennings released the successful album, Will the Wolf Survive
Will the Wolf Survive
Will the Wolf Survive is an album by Waylon Jennings, his debut for MCA Records after a twenty-year stay at RCA. First released in 1986, it proved a greater commercial success than the singer's previous several releases, the peak of Jennings' popularity having passed...
. Jennings toured less after 1997, to spend more time with his family. Between 1999 and 2001, his appearances were limited by health problems. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died from complications of diabetes.
Jennings also appeared in movies and television series. He was the narrator for The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
. In 2001 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2007 he was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
.
Early life
Waylon Jennings was born in Littlefield, TexasLittlefield, Texas
Littlefield is a city in and the county seat of Lamb County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,507 at the 2000 census. It is located in a significant cotton growing region, northwest of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado just south of the beginning of the Texas Panhandle...
, the seat of Lamb County, the son of Lorene Beatrice (née Shipley) and William Alvin Jennings. His original birth name was Wayland, meaning land by the highway, but it was changed after a Baptist preacher visited Jennings' parents and congratulated his mother for naming him after the Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University is private, coeducational Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas, U.S.A. Wayland Baptist has a total of fourteen campuses in four additional Texas cities, five other states, and the country of Kenya. On August 31, 1908, the university was chartered by the state of...
in Plainview, Texas
Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
. Lorene Jennings, who had been unaware of the college, changed the spelling to Waylon. Jennings later expressed in his autobiography "I didn't like Waylon. It sounded corny and hillbilly, but it's been good to me, and I'm pretty well at peace with it right now." When Jennings was eight, his mother bought him his first guitar, a Harmony Patrician
Harmony Company Models
The Harmony Company of Illinois, United States, manufactured a wide variety of musical instruments which were popular during most of the 20th century. This article is devoted to documenting these instruments.- Numbering convention :...
, and taught him to play. Jennings never learned to read music, but he practiced to seek a career in music, to avoid a possible future picking cotton.
Beginnings in music
The twelve-year-old Jennings auditioned for a spot on KVOW in Littlefield, Texas. Owner J.B. McShan, along with Emil Macha, recorded Jennings' performance. McShan liked his style, and hired him for a weekly thirty-minute program. Following this successful introduction, Jennings formed his own band. He asked Macha to play bass for him, and gathered other friends and acquaintances to form The Texas Longhorns. The style of the band, a mixture of country & western and bluegrassBluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, often was not well received. At seventeen, Jennings and band recorded a demo of the songs "Stranger in My Home" and "There'll Be a New Day" at KFYO
KFYO (AM)
KFYO is a Lubbock, Texas, based news/talk radio station operating on 790 kHz AM.-Staff:KFYO News Staff includes: Robert Snyder, Rex Andrew, Cole Shooter, Bob Horton & Julie FisherKFYO Morning Show Host: Chad Hasty...
radio in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Besides of performing on air for KVOW, Jennings later worked as a D.J for the station. Jennings dropped out of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in tenth grade to pursue music. His early influences were Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
, Floyd Tillman
Floyd Tillman
Floyd Tillman was an American country musician who, in the 1930s and 1940s, helped create the Western swing and honky tonk genres. Tillman was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984.-Early life:Tillman grew up in the cotton-mill town of Post,...
, Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. In his biography Jennings described the first time he heard Presley singing "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky
Blue Moon of Kentucky
"Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a waltz written in 1946 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, The Blue Grass Boys. The song has since been recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley....
": "The sound went straight up your spine. The way he sang, the singer sounded black, but something about the songs was really country". He moved to Lubbock, where he initially worked for KDAV
KDAV
KDAV is an AM radio station licensed to Lubbock, Texas, broadcasting an oldies format which focuses on 1950s and early 1960s pop, rockabilly, mild doo-wop, and country oldies....
, and later for KLLL
KBZO (AM)
KBZO is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish adult hits music format. Licensed to Lubbock, Texas, USA, the station serves the Lubbock area. The station is currently owned by Entravision Holdings, LLC.-History:...
, Jennings' show was successful in both venues.
In 1958, Jennings met Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
during the broadcasts of "Sunday Party" at KDAV, looking for a start in record production. On September 10, Jennings recorded the songs "Jolie Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)", with Holly and Tommy Allsup
Tommy Allsup
Tommy Allsup is an American musician.He worked with entertainers such as Buddy Holly and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys...
on guitars with saxophonist King Curtis
King Curtis
Curtis Ousley , who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer...
. The single was released on Brunswick in 1959 with limited success. Holly then hired Jennings to play electric bass for him during his "Winter Dance Party Tour".
After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,161 at the 2000 census. The city is named for the large lake on which it is located. It is the home of a number of marinas, state parks and tourism-related businesses. Clear Lake is also a major stop on Interstate...
, Holly chartered a plane for himself, Allsup and Jennings to avoid a long bus trip to Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
. Allsup lost a coin toss to Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
for his seat on the plane, while Jennings gave up his seat to J. P. Richardson
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
, who was suffering from a cold and complaining about how uncomfortable a long bus trip was for a man of his size. Holly jokingly told Jennings, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up!". Jennings replied, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes!" During the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, later known as The Day the Music Died
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
, the charter crashed outside Clear Lake, killing all on board. Jennings and Allsup continued the tour for two more weeks, featuring Jennings as the lead singer. Jennings later admitted that he felt severe guilt
Survivor guilt
Survivor, survivor's, or survivors guilt or syndrome is a mental condition that occurs when a person perceives themselves to have done wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not...
and responsibility for the crash, and that his words would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He later returned to KLLL and performed regionally. He released recordings under Trend Records
Trend Records
Trend Records was a post-World War II United States jazz record label.Trend's back catalogue was purchased by Albert Marx, the owner of Discovery Records, and much of its material was reissued in the 1980s. Among those who recorded for Trend are Van Alexander, Robert Conti, Shelly Manne, Clare...
, and experienced moderate success with his single "Another Blue Day".
Phoenix and the Nashville Sound
In 1961, Jennings lived briefly in Coolidge, ArizonaCoolidge, Arizona
Coolidge is a city in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 8,154.Arizona Highway 87 and Arizona Highway 287 pass through the town. Coolidge is 56 miles southeast of Phoenix, and 69 miles northwest of Tucson. It is 21 miles...
working in radio, before moving to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, where he formed a rockabilly band, The Waylors. Jennings and his band performed at a newly opened nightspot called JD's. The band earned a small fan base, eventually signing with the independent label Trend Records. The recordings were not successful and Jennings began working as a record producer. In 1963, he moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
where he signed a contract with Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
of A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
.
His records had little success, because A&M's main releases were folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
rather than country. He had a few hits on local radio in Phoenix, including Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson
Ian Tyson CM, AOE is a Canadian singer-songwriter, best known for his song "Four Strong Winds". He was also one half of the duo Ian & Sylvia.-Career:Tyson was born to British immigrants in Victoria in 1933, and grew up in Duncan B.C...
's "Four Strong Winds
Four Strong Winds
"Four Strong Winds" is a song written by Ian Tyson in the early 1960s. It was first recorded by The Brothers Four in a version that "Bubbled Under" the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1963...
" and "Just To Satisfy You" (co-written with Don Bowman). He also recorded an album on BAT called JD's. After 500 copies were sold at the club, another 500 copies were pressed by the Sounds label. He also played lead guitar for Patsy Montana
Patsy Montana
Ruby Rose Blevins , known professionally as Patsy Montana, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first female country performer to have a million-selling single...
on a 1964 album. Alpert tried to shift Jennings' style from country to pop, but Jennings refused. After his only single, "Sing the Girl a Song, Bill", Alpert released Jennings.
Singer Bobby Bare
Bobby Bare
Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
, who covered Jennings' songs "Four Strong Winds" and "Just To Satisfy You", recommended Jennings to producer Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, who signed Jennings to RCA Victor in 1965.
In 1966, Jennings released his debut album for RCA Folk-Country
Folk-Country
Folk-Country is the major-label debut album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1966 on RCA Victor. It is his first collaboration with producer Chet Atkins. "Stop the World " was released as a single.-Track listing:...
, followed by Leavin' Town
Leavin' Town
Leavin' Town is Waylon Jennings' second album for RCA Victor, released in 1966.-Track listing:# "Leavin' Town" – 2:09# "Time to Bum Again" – 2:04# "If You Really Want Me to, I'll Go" – 2:03...
, and Nashville Rebel
Nashville Rebel
Nashville Rebel is Waylon Jennings' third album for RCA Victor, released in 1966. It is the soundtrack to the Jay Sheridan film of the same name. It includes a cover of The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" from Rubber Soul...
. Nashville rebel was the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to an independent film of the same name
Nashville Rebel (film)
Nashville Rebel is a 1966 motion picture starring Waylon Jennings, Mary Frann, Gordon Oas-Heim, and CeCe Whitney. This should not be confused with a 2006 compilation DVD of TV performances released by RCA Records to accompany the four-disc "Nashville Rebel" anthology.-Summary:Arlin Grove has just...
, starring Jennings. In 1967, Jennings released a hit single, "Just to Satisfy You
Just to Satisfy You (song)
"Just to Satisfy You" is the title track from a 1969 Waylon Jennings album. At the album release, "Just to Satisfy You" was written by Waylon Jennings and Don Bowman and was not released as a single and had been a country hit for Bobby Bare in 1965. In 1982, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson...
". During an interview, Jennings stated, "The song is a pretty good example of the influence that working with Buddy Holly had on me. This has probably influenced me a lot; you know, what they used to call Rockabilly". During the next years, Jennings produced mid-chart albums that sold well, including Just to Satisfy You
Just to Satisfy You
Just to Satisfy You is a 1969 album by Waylon Jennings on RCA Victor. The title track has been covered by Glen Campbell.-Track listing:#"Lonely Weekends" – 2:33#"Sing the Blues to Daddy" – 2:41...
, that included the same-named hit single of 1967.
In 1970, Jennings released Ladies Love Outlaws
Ladies Love Outlaws
Ladies Love Outlaws is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Records in 1972. One of the first Jennings albums to carry his newly-acquired outlaw country image and style, it reached #11 on the country charts, while "Under Your Spell Again", a duet with Jessi Colter, peaked at #39...
. The single that headlined the album became a hit for Jennings, and was his first approach to Outlaw Country
Outlaw country
Outlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
. Jennings was accustomed to performing and recording with his own band, The Waylors; a practice that was not encouraged by powerful Nashville producers. Over time, however, Jennings felt limited by the Nashville sound
Nashville sound
The Nashville sound originated during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of honky tonk music which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s...
's lack of artistic freedom. The music style publicized as "Countrypolitan" was characterized by orchestral arrangements, and the absence of traditional country music instruments. The producers did not let Jennings play his own guitar, or select material to record.
Outlaw Country
In an interview Jennings recalled, "They wouldn't let you do anything. You had to dress a certain way: you had to do everything a certain way [...] They kept trying to destroy me.... I just went about my business and did things my way [...] You start messing with my music, I get mean" In 1972, his recording contract was nearing an end. HepatitisHepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
-afflicted Jennings accepted an offer from Neil Reshen to renegotiate his recording and touring contracts. At a meeting in a Nashville airport, Jennings introduced Reshen to Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
. By the end of the meeting, Reshen had become manager to both singers. Jennings' new deal gained him a $75,000 advance and artistic control. Reshen advised Jennings to keep the beard that he had grown in the hospital, in order to match the image of outlaw country.
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Now based in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Nelson had made inroads into the rock and roll press by attracting a diverse fan base that included the rock music audience. Atlantic Records was now attempting to sign Jennings, but Nelson's rise to popularity persuaded RCA to renegotiate with Jennings before losing another potential success.
He followed with Lonesome, On'ry and Mean
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean
Lonesome, On'ry and Mean is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1973. It was, after Good Hearted Woman and Ladies Love Outlaws, the third in a series of albums which were to establish Jennings as one of the most prominent representatives of the country movement, reaching #8 on...
and Honky Tonk Heroes
Honky Tonk Heroes
Honky Tonk Heroes is an album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1973 on RCA Victor. With the exception of the tenth and final track, all of the songs on the album were originally written or co-written by Billy Joe Shaver, who helped shape Jennings' movement in the direction of outlaw country...
in 1973, the first albums recorded and released under his creative control. The albums were commercial and critical successes. More hit albums followed, with The Ramblin' Man and This Time, in 1974, and Dreaming My Dreams, in 1975. In 1976, Jennings released Are You Ready for the Country
Are You Ready for the Country
Are You Ready for the Country is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1976. Its title track is a song from Neil Young's seminal 1972 album Harvest...
, Jennings wanted the record to be produced by Los Angeles producer Ken Mansfield
Ken Mansfield
Ken Mansfield is a Grammy Award-winning record producer, former U.S. Manager of Apple Records, a high-ranking executive for several record labels, songwriter and the author of three books....
. Although RCA denied the request, Jennings and The Waylors went to Los Angeles and recorded with Mansfield at his expense. After a month, Jennings presented the master tape to Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
who decided to release it. The album hit number one on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s country albums three times the same year, topping the charts for ten weeks. It was named country album of the year in 1976 by Record World Magazine and it was certified gold by the RIAA.
In 1976 Jennings released the album Wanted! The Outlaws
Wanted! The Outlaws
Wanted! The Outlaws is an album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released in RCA Victor in 1976, and consisting of previously released material. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by...
, recorded with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessie Colter for RCA. The album was the first country music album certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
. The following year, RCA issued Ol' Waylon
Ol' Waylon
Ol' Waylon is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1977. It plays to Jennings' established outlaw country image. The album features one of his signature songs, a track featuring Willie Nelson called "Luckenbach, Texas ", as well as the Neil Diamond song "Sweet Caroline", a version...
, an album that produced a hit duet with Nelson, "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
"Luckenbach, Texas " is a popular song sung by Waylon Jennings released in April 1977, at the height of outlaw country on the hit album Ol' Waylon...
." Jennings, who never liked the song, later commented: "It's not the type of song I'd do. But I learned a lesson from that, I turned around and told Richie (his drummer), I said, Next time when I record a song, you remind me I have to sing that sumbitch the rest of my life". The album Waylon and Willie followed in 1978, producing the hit single, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys
"Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" is a country music song first recorded by Ed Bruce, written by him and wife Patsy Bruce. His version of the song appears on his 1976 self-titled album for United Artists Records. In late 1975–early 1976, Bruce's rendition of the song went to #15...
". Jennings released I've Always Been Crazy
I've Always Been Crazy
I've Always Been Crazy is a country album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1978. Highlights include the title track and "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand"; these two songs set the tone for the album, which finds Jennings burned out on the outlaw country movement...
, also in 1978, and Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Waylon Jennings album)
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1979 on RCA Victor. It documents Jennings' outlaw country years for RCA and includes several of his most well-known signature songs, the most recent of which had been the title track of I've Always Been Crazy, released the year...
the following year.
Later years
In the mid-1980s, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Nelson and Jennings formed a successful group called The HighwaymenThe Highwaymen (country supergroup)
The Highwaymen were an American supergroup comprising four country music artists well known for, among other things, their involvement and pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson...
. Aside from his work with The Highwaymen, Jennings' released a gold album WWII
WWII (album)
WWII is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, released on RCA Victor in 1982. Featuring six solo Jennings songs and five duet tracks, it was originally intended to be, as the title suggests, a continuation of or sequel of sorts to 1978's extremely successful Waylon & Willie...
(1982) with Willie Nelson.
USA for Africa
USA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year...
to record "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
", but he left the studio due to a dispute over the song's lyrics that were sung in Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
. By this time, his sales decreased. After the release of Sweet Mother Texas
Sweet Mother Texas
Sweet Mother Texas is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Records in 1986. The singer's last album for the label before his move to MCA, it contains, among others, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire" and a version of Kris Kristofferson's "Living Legend", which would be recorded by...
, Jennings signed with Music Corporation of America
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
. The debut release with the label, Will the Wolf Survive
Will the Wolf Survive
Will the Wolf Survive is an album by Waylon Jennings, his debut for MCA Records after a twenty-year stay at RCA. First released in 1986, it proved a greater commercial success than the singer's previous several releases, the peak of Jennings' popularity having passed...
(1985), peaked at number one in Billboard's Country albums in 1986. Jennings' initial success tailed off, and in 1990, he signed with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. His first release, The Eagle
The Eagle (album)
The Eagle is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on Epic Records in 1990. It was the first of his two solo albums on the label, which he joined after a two-year stay at MCA. The selections themselves are a mixture of fast-paced songs and slower ballads. "Wrong", a humorous track about a...
, became his final top ten album. In 1993, in collaboration with Rincom Children's Entertainment, Jennings recorded an album of children's songs, Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals & Dirt
Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals & Dirt
Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals & Dirt is an album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1993 through RCA Records and Ode 2 Kids Records. A concept album, it features Jennings singing compositions intended for children. All but one of the tracks on the record were written by the singer himself. The final song...
, which included "Shooter's Theme", a tribute to his 14-year-old with the theme of "a friend of mine".
Despite low record sales, Jennings attracted large audiences in live appearances. In 1997, after the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour, he decreased his tour schedule and became centered on his family.
In 1998, Jennings teamed up with Bare, Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
and Mel Tillis
Mel Tillis
Lonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
to form The Old Dogs
Old Dogs
Old Dogs was an American country music supergroup composed of singers Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Bobby Bare, and Jerry Reed. Signed in 1998 to Atlantic Records, Old Dogs recorded a self-titled studio album for the label that year. The album's content was written primarily by author, poet, and...
. The group recorded a double album of songs penned entirely by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
.
In mid 1999, Jennings assembled what he referred to as his "hand-picked dream team" – and formed Waylon & The Waymore Blues Band. Consisting primarily of former Waylors, the thirteen-member group performed a limited number of concerts from 1999 to 2001. In January of 2000, Jennings recorded what would become his final album at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue, located at 115 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee and is best known as the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry....
, Never Say Die: Live
Never Say Die: Live
Never Say Die: Live is a live album by Waylon & The Waymore Blues Band, released on Sony Records through the Lucky Dog imprint in 2000. Jennings' third live album – after Waylon Live – and his last record of original material to be released during his lifetime, it was recorded at Nashville's...
.
Movies and television
In 1966, Jennings starred in the movie Nashville RebelNashville Rebel (film)
Nashville Rebel is a 1966 motion picture starring Waylon Jennings, Mary Frann, Gordon Oas-Heim, and CeCe Whitney. This should not be confused with a 2006 compilation DVD of TV performances released by RCA Records to accompany the four-disc "Nashville Rebel" anthology.-Summary:Arlin Grove has just...
, an independent production shot in Nashville. Jennings portrayed Alvin Grove, a local singer on his way to stardom. Jennings next appeared in the movies All American Cowboy, and The Oklahoma City Dolls. Outside the music industry, Jennings was known as the primary voice of the narrator/balladeer on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
and its predecessor, the 1975 film, Moonrunners
Moonrunners
Moonrunners is a 1975 film starring James Mitchum, and the precursor to The Dukes of Hazzard television series. Mitchum had co-starred with his famous father, Robert Mitchum, in the similar drive-in favorite Thunder Road eighteen years earlier, which also focused upon moonshine-running bootleggers...
. The theme song, "Good Ol' Boys", an original Jennings composition, became one of the most well-known television theme songs in American television history. In 1986 he appeared in the movie Stagecoach, portraying Hatfield, alongside Cash, Nelson and Kristofferson.
Jennings made an appearance on Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
, and played a truck drive in the 1985 film, Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird
Sesame Street presents Follow That Bird
Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird is a 1985 American road film directed by Ken Kwapis, starring many Sesame Street characters . This was the first of two Sesame Street feature films, followed in 1999 by The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland...
. Jennings sang "Ain't No Road Too Long" in the movie with Big Bird
Big Bird
Big Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
and the other Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
characters.
In 2000, he provided the voice of Judge Thatcher in the animated adaptation of Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer
Thomas "Tom" Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . He appears in three other novels by Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Tom Sawyer Abroad , and Tom Sawyer, Detective .Sawyer also appears in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck and Tom...
. In an episode of The Angry Beavers
The Angry Beavers
The Angry Beavers is an American animated television series created by Mitch Schauer for the Nickelodeon channel. The series revolves around Daggett and Norbert Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have left their home to become bachelors in the forest near Wayouttatown, Oregon. The show premiered...
entitled The Legend of Kid Friendly that aired in April 1999, Jennings provided the voice for the narrator/singer. In 2001, Jennings voiced a character in an episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
for a Dukes of Hazzard parody (his last televised appearance). The episode was entitled "To Love and Die in Dixie". The episode originally aired that November. He also narrated a watch fight in an earlier episode, "Chitty Chitty Death Bang
Chitty Chitty Death Bang
"Chitty Chitty Death Bang" is the third episode of the first season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. The episode follows Peter after he tries to make amends for his son, Stewie's, first birthday party when he loses their reservation at a popular kids restaurant known as Cheesie Charlie's...
".
Personal life
Jennings was married four times, and had six children. He was first married to Maxine Caroll Lawrence in 1956 at age 18, with whom he spawned Terry, Julie, and Buddy Dean. Jennings married again on December 10, 1962 to Lynne Jones, adopting a child Tomi Lynne. They divorced in 1967. He next married Barbara Rood. He composed the song "This Time" about the trials and tribulations of his marriages and divorces. He married for the fourth and final time in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, on October 26, 1969 to Jessi Colter. Colter and Jennings had one son, Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings. Colter had one daughter, Jennifer, from her previous marriage. Jennings' grandson, William "Struggle" Harness, became a rap/hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist, based out of Nashville.
In 1997, he stopped touring to be close to his family. To set an example about the importance of education to his son Waylon Albright, Jennings earned a GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
.
Addiction and recovery
Jennings started to consume amphetamineAmphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
s at the time he lived with Johnny Cash during the mid-1960s. Jennings later stated, "Pills were the artificial energy on which Nashville ran around the clock". In 1977, Jennings was arrested by federal agents for conspiracy and 'possession of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
with intent to distribute'. A private courier warned the Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
about the package sent to Jennings by a New York colleague that contained twenty-seven grams of cocaine. The DEA and the police went to Jennings' recording studio. They found no evidence, because while they were waiting for a search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
, Jennings flushed the cocaine. The charges were later dropped and Jennings was released. The episode was recounted in Jennings' song "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Outta Hand?"
During the early 1980s, his cocaine addiction intensified. Jennings claimed to have spent US$1500 daily to satisfy his addiction, draining his personal finances and leaving him bankrupt with debt of up to US$2.5 million. Though he insisted on repaying the debt and did additional tours to earn the funds, his work became less focused and his tours deteriorated. Jennings decided to quit his addictions, leased a home in the Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
area and spent a month detoxing
Detox
Detoxification is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including, but not limited to, the human body and additionally can refer to the period of withdrawal during which an organism returns to homeostasis after long-term use of an addictive substance...
himself, intending to start using cocaine again in a more controlled fashion afterward. In 1984 he quit cocaine. By Jennings' own admission in interviews, his son, Shooter Jennings
Shooter Jennings
Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings is an American singer-songwriter active in the country music and Southern rock genres as well as making his first foray into psychedelic rock in 2009...
, was the main inspiration to quit permanently.
Illness and death
Jennings' health had been bad for years previous to his death. Jennings quit cocaine, and his habit of smoking six packs of cigaretteCigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s daily. In 1988 he underwent heart bypass surgery. By 2000 his diabetes worsened, and the pain reduced his mobility, forcing Jennings to end most touring. Later the same year he went under surgery to improve his leg circulation. In December 2001 his left foot was amputated at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died in his sleep of diabetic complications in Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
. Jennings was buried in the Mesa City Cemetery, in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
. At the funeral ceremony, on February 15, Colter sang "Storms Never Last" for the attendees, who included Jennings' close friends and fellow musicians.
Legacy
Between 1966 and 1995, 54 Jennings' albums charted, with 11 reaching number one. Meanwhile between 1965 and 1991, 96 singles charted, with 16 number ones.In October 2001, Jennings was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In one final act of defiance, he did not attend the ceremony and opted instead to send son Buddy Dean Jennings. On July 6, 2006, Jennings was inducted to Hollywood's Rock Wall in Hollywood, California. On June 20, 2007, Jennings was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
.
In 2006, Jennings received a tribute from actors John Schneider
John Schneider (television actor)
John Richard Schneider III is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a...
, Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...
, and Catherine Bach
Catherine Bach
Catherine Bach is an American actress. She is known for playing Daisy Duke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard and Margo Dutton in African Skies.-Career:...
(Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke). Schneider, Wopat, and Bach reworked and rerecorded the Theme from "The Dukes of Hazzard" (Good Ol' Boys). They made a video for the song, which appeared on the season seven Dukes of Hazzard
Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
DVD set. The song ends with Daisy (Catherine Bach) saying, "We love you, Waylon,".
Awards
| Year | Award | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded from 1970 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1970 the award was known as Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group... w/ The Kimberlys for "MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (song) "MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's... " |
Grammy Awards |
| 1975 | Male Vocalist of the Year Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... |
Country Music Association Country Music Association The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre... |
| 1976 | Album of the Year Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... w/ Jessi Colter Jessi Colter Jessi Colter is an American country music artist who is best known for her collaboration with her husband, country singer and songwriter Waylon Jennings and for her 1975 country-pop crossover hit "I'm Not Lisa".... , Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... & Tompall Glaser Tompall Glaser Tompall Glaser is an American country music artist. Active since the 1950s, he has recorded both as a solo artist and with his brothers Chuck and Jim in the trio Tompall & the Glaser Brothers... for "Wanted! The Outlaws Wanted! The Outlaws Wanted! The Outlaws is an album by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, released in RCA Victor in 1976, and consisting of previously released material. Released to capitalize on the new outlaw country movement, Wanted! The Outlaws earned its place in music history by... " |
Country Music Association Country Music Association The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre... |
| 1976 | Vocal Duo of the Year Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... w/ Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... |
Country Music Association Country Music Association The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre... |
| 1976 | Single of the Year Country Music Association Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967... w/ Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... for "Good-Hearted Woman" |
Country Music Association Country Music Association The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre... |
| 1979 | Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded from 1970 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1970 the award was known as Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group... w/ Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... for "Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" |
Grammy Awards |
| 1985 | Single of the Year Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the... w/ the other members of The Highwaymen The Highwaymen (country supergroup) The Highwaymen were an American supergroup comprising four country music artists well known for, among other things, their involvement and pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson... for "Highwayman Highwayman (song) "Highwayman" is the title of a song written by American songwriter Jimmy Webb, about a soul with incarnations in four different places in time and history, a highwayman, a sailor, a construction worker on the Hoover Dam, and finally as a star ship captain.... " |
Academy of Country Music Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the... |
| 2001 | Country Music Hall of Fame induction | Country Music Hall of Fame |
| 2003 | CMT CMT - Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia... Greatest Men of Country Music, Rank #5 |
CMT Country Music Television Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs... 's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music |
| 2006 | Hollywood's RockWall induction | Hollywood's RockWall |
| 2007 | Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the... |
Academy of Country Music Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the... |
| 2007 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Nashville Songwriters' Festival |
See also
- Outlaw countryOutlaw countryOutlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
- Academy of Country MusicAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- List of country musicians
- Country Music AssociationCountry Music AssociationThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
- List of best-selling music artists
- Inductees of the Country Music Hall of FameInductees of the Country Music Hall of FameThis is a list of inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame.Number of Inductees : 115 . Of these 15 are women and two are groups that include...
Further reading
- Denisoff, R. Serge. Waylon: A Biography (1983). Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 0-87049-387-6.
- Smith, John L. (compiled by) The Waylon Jennings Discography (1995). Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-29745-2.