Jennings, Waylon (1937—)

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Jennings, Waylon (1937—)

A professional musician since the 1950s, Waylon Jennings is known for his contribution to the country and western "Outlaw Movement" of the 1970s. Along with Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Kris Kristofferson, Tompall Glaser, and wife Jessi Colter, Jennings bucked the Nashville system in a big way. His 1973 release Honky Tonk Heroes, with all but one song penned by Shaver, defined the movement and the era. Recorded with his road band and not the slick studio musicians that most Nashville labels preferred, Jennings created a sound that was edgy and most certainly of the traditional honky tonk variety.

Born Waylon Arnold Jennings in Littlefield, Texas, he learned to play guitar, formed his own band, and was a DJ on a local radio station by the time he was 12. Leaving school several years later, he ended up in Lubbock where he became friends with future rock 'n' roll legend Buddy Holly. A mentor of sorts, Holly produced Jennings's first recording, a single on Brunswick released in 1958 called "Jole Blon." Later that same year Jennings joined Holly's band, the Crickets, playing bass during the course of Holly's final tour. It was Jennings who gave up his seat to the Big Bopper, on the ill-fated airplane that crashed in Mason City, Iowa, on February 3, 1959. Along with Holly and the Big Bopper, a young L.A. rocker, Ritchie Valens, lost his life. Jennings was devastated and returned to Lubbock where he worked as a DJ.

In 1960 a move to Phoenix and the formation of a rockabilly band, the Waylors, gave Jennings another shot at success. Signing with the independent Trend label, the Waylors cut a number of singles. While the records failed to create a buzz, Jennings did get his first shot as a record producer at Audio Recorders. A move to Los Angeles followed as did a contract with Herb Alpert's A&M Records. Alpert looked at Jennings as a pop artist, but Waylon was already hip-deep in country music. His only single for A&M was "Sing the Girl a Song, Bill." By 1965 he made the move to Nashville where he worked with Chet Atkins and Bobby Bare for RCA. It was at this time that he and Johnny Cash formed a strong bond while living together.

Releasing Top 40 hits such as "That's the Chance I'll Have to Take," Jennings quickly moved into the Top 10 with tunes like "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" by 1968. But, he was working with session players and Jennings wanted to move his sound more towards the hardcore side of country music. During the 1970s he began recording songs by a songwriter named Kris Kristofferson and working with Willie Nelson. Releasing Singer of Sad Songs and Ladies Love Outlaws provided the foundation for the "Outlaw Movement" that was to come. Just as significant, in 1972 Jennings sought to have more control and successfully renegotiated his RCA contract demanding total control over the production of his next project. This project was Honky Tonk Heroes.

Gaining momentum, Jennings had his first No. 1 single in 1974, "This Time." He followed that up with another No. 1, "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and a No. 2, "Rainy Day Woman." By 1975 he also was crossing over to the pop charts with "Are You Sure Hank Don' It This Way." Awarded the Country Music Association's male vocalist of the year award moved him into mainstream popular culture in 1976. This was underscored by the release of Wanted! Outlaws, recorded with his wife, Nelson, and Glaser. It hit No. 1 on the pop charts and made Waylon Jennings a superstar.

The next decade would secure Jennings's place in the collective consciousness of popular culture. Working with Willie Nelson, a series of duets resulted in hits like "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" and the multi-platinum 1978 album Waylon & Willie. As a solo artist, Jennings scored big on both the country and pop charts with "Luckenback, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" and made his presence known as part of the success of the hit TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, for which he also wrote the theme song. Expanding beyond the music, he would appear in several television movies and have a cameo in the big-screen release Maverick in 1994. A guest spot on the Fox series Married with Children also brought Jennings popular attention.

By the mid-1980s, Jennings's musical career was suffering from a lack of radio air-play. The pop-tinged "hot, young country" fad made it nearly impossible for Jennings and his peers, including country crooner George Jones, to be heard. Radio-driven, country and western music had always appealed to a grass roots fan base that depended upon radio for entertainment. This shift made it difficult for Jennings to remain at the top of his profession by industry standards. Still, joining up with old friends Nelson, Cash, and Kristofferson, Jennings forged ahead and formed the super group, the Highwaymen in 1985. Releasing three projects over the next decade, the Highwaymen had a No. 1 hit with their first single, "The Highwayman."

Then, after 20 years with RCA, Jennings moved to MCA in 1986. He had several hits, most notably "Rose in Paradise," but found he was stifled by age discrimination within the country music industry. In 1990 he went over to Epic and had a Top 40 single with "Wrong" and "The Eagle" in 1991. Back with RCA, he released Waymore Blues (Part II) in 1994. By 1996 Jennings had signed with Texas independent label Justice Records and released the critically acclaimed Right for the Time. That same year, RCA put together a twentieth anniversary edition of Wanted! The Outlaws.

In 1998, Jennings overcame major health problems, much as he had done earlier when he had been forced to deal with drug and alcohol abuse. Any thoughts of the Highwaymen coming together again were put to rest when Johnny Cash became ill. However, Jennings joined a new band, the Old Dogs. Along with Mel Tillis, Jerry Reed, and Bobby Bare, Jennings created a strong country sound that defied the youth-oriented country music business. With songs penned by Shel Silverstein, the topic of the Old Dogs projects was "getting old." With humor and irreverence, the country music foursome gleaned strength from their unity and shared history as they came to terms with the process of aging. Released on Atlantic Records, Old Dogs, Vol. I and Vol. II, gave notice that Jennings was once again a working artist. Nothing would keep him down, not old age, ill health, or an ungrateful music industry.

During the course of his career, Jennings has maintained a high level of individuality and always remained true to his own vision. Musically, he set in motion a precedent that upholds the traditional tenets of country and western music. Younger artists, artists who refuse to kowtow to the Nashville system, cite Jennings as a strong influence. He also has made his presence felt in music beyond the bounds of country, recording with Neil Diamond and Mark Knopfler and performing in 1996 on the Lollapalooza Tour with heavy metal stars Metallica. Gritty and honest, Jennings's distinctive baritone and sense of self has made him a towering influence within country and western music.

—Jana Pendragon