Waylon Jennings

Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 - February 13, 2002) 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, KYTI 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 flight which they died. Before takeoff, Holly, in jest, told Jennings "I hope your ol' bus freezes up", to which Jennings, also in jest, responded with "I hope your ol' plane crashes". These words would haunt Jennings his entire life.

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, which he chose not to attend until later on. And in 2007 he was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music.

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