Biography of Waylon Jennings

The ultimate Outlaw, Waylon Jennings squeezed a lot of recording and a lot more living into the years between touring as Buddy Holly's bass player and recording the Highwayman II album in 1991. And all the time he fought against the lush but sterile Nashville Sound and against the Nashville establishment record labels that produced this sameness of sound. With fellow Texan and close friend Willie Nelson, Jennings changed the way things were done in Music City, including insisting on recording with their own bands, rather than with homogenized studio musicians of the Nashville feudal system.In the early '60s, Jennings and his band the Waylors were doing well out of Phoenix. Chet Atkins learned about the talented singer and offered him a contract. Jennings's first singles did well enough ("Anita You're Dreaming," for example), but the husky, powerful voice, the faded-jeans image, and the raw and emotional material delivered with a rock beat scared some people in Nashville. He enjoyed moderate success through the 60s, recording and touring and building up an enthusiastic audience (cult would be accurate) for this unique sound.In spite of all the talent, Jennings wasn't to become a major star until the '70s brought such influential albums as Good Hearted Woman (1972) and Honky Tonk Heroes, (1973). Then came the landmark album that sold millions, Wanted: the Outlaws (1976), that featured Jennings, Jessi Colter (his wife), Tompall Glaser, and Willie Nelson, performing eleven previously released songs. Jennings was a superstar and the outlaws had won. As further proof, in 1978 the Waylon & Willie album was a runaway hit, remaining on the country and pop charts for over a year. His singles did as well as the albums, with such hits as "Luckenbach, Texas," "The Wurlitzer Prize," "I've Always Been Crazy," and "Amanda." Meanwhile, the Outlaw clones proliferated, leading (thanks to the mechanical bull movie) to the Urban Cowboy fad, and prompting Jennings to pen and record "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got out of Hand." But Jennings had racked up eight consecutive gold albums while keeping his musical integrity, and the direction of country music had been changed.With his superstar status intact, Jennings recorded regularly in the '80s, but his popularity slipped a notch or two, having in fact nowhere to go but down. In 1985, Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson produced their Highwayman album, a best-seller that spawned a #1 single of the same title. Jennings, having done his music his way, has earned the right to rest on his laurels, should he choose to. ~ David Vinopal