Waylon Jennings Biography

Occup.Musician
FromUSA
BornJune 15, 1937
DiedFebruary 13, 2002
Aged64 years
Waylon Jennings, an American country music vocalist and songwriter, was born on June 15, 1937, in Littlefield, Texas. He passed away on February 13, 2002, in Chandler, Arizona. Jennings made prestige as one of the leading tokens of the outlaw country motion, which emerged in opposition to the polished and clean-cut Nashville sound that had dominated the category throughout the 1960s and also 1970s. With his deep and distinct voice, Waylon fused rock and also country music to establish a special, gritty sound that became his trademark.

Growing up in the heart of Texas, Jennings was introduced to music by his dad, that was a gifted musician himself. By age 12, Waylon was performing survive local radio, as well as at 16, he became the youngest disc jockey in the state. The talented vocalist transferred to Lubbock, Texas, in 1958, where he befriended and also ended up being a protégé of Buddy Holly, one more local musician who was destined for popularity. Holly created Jennings' first solitary as well as also recruited him to play bass in his band.

In an unfortunate spin of destiny, Jennings was scheduled to be on the unfortunate flight that collapsed in February 1959, eliminating Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, as well as J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper). Jennings had quit his seat to Richardson, who was dealing with the influenza. This heartrending experience would certainly haunt Waylon for many years ahead.

Complying with Holly's fatality, Jennings functioned as both a performer as well as a radio DJ, eventually authorizing with RCA Records in 1965. He battled for many years under the restrictive Nashville audio manufacturing style that the label had actually enforced. Nevertheless, Waylon battled to maintain imaginative control over his songs, which eventually brought about the obvious outlaw design that he ended up being identified with.

His innovation cd, "Wanted! The Outlaws," was launched in 1976, including his wife, Jessi Colter, in addition to buddies Willie Nelson and Tompall Glaser. This came to be the first platinum-selling cd in c and w history as well as paved the way for the subsequent successes in Jennings' job.

Throughout the 1980s, Waylon released numerous chart-topping hits, such as "Good Hearted Woman," "Luckenbach, Texas," and "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" His partnership with Willie Nelson likewise showed to be productive, leading to mega-hits like "Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" as well as a cover of Ed Bruce's "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys."

Regardless of his music accomplishments, Jennings fought with medicine addiction for much of his profession, ultimately getting rid of the dependency in the direction of the end of the 1980s. He continued to make music, his final workshop album being "Goin' Down Rockin': The Last Recordings," released posthumously in 2012.

Waylon Jennings' contributions to c and w stretch far and wide, with his effect influencing generations of musicians ahead. His strong advocacy for creative liberty as well as his commitment to continuing to be authentic to his origins have enshrined him as one of the most enduring and also influential figures in the history of the category.

Our collection contains 28 quotes who is written / told by Waylon.

Related authors: Willie Nelson (Musician), Buddy Holly (Musician), Jessi Colter (Musician), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

Discography:

28 Famous quotes by Waylon Jennings

Small: One thing is that I wasnt getting booked that well, and they had control over who got the awards, they
"One thing is that I wasn't getting booked that well, and they had control over who got the awards, they had control over who sold. And they really did not want Willie or me, either one, to have a hit record. They wanted the money, but they didn't want us to be the ones"
Small: We did an album one time called White Mansions, about the civil war, but it was written by a guy from E
"We did an album one time called White Mansions, about the civil war, but it was written by a guy from England. His looking at it from over there and it not being a part of his history made it so he could be objective"
Small: So Im not very popular here with those inside the system, as you might guess. I never wanted to be
"So I'm not very popular here with those inside the system, as you might guess. I never wanted to be"
Small: Now, I dont know how they judge all that, but if anybody in the world deserves to be in the Rock And Ro
"Now, I don't know how they judge all that, but if anybody in the world deserves to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Ritchie Valens does"
Small: It was all devastating. Id never dealt with losing anyone close to me, and I didnt know where to put it
"It was all devastating. I'd never dealt with losing anyone close to me, and I didn't know where to put it in my life. I was very young then. Buddy taught me so much in such a short time"
Small: I may be crazy, but it keeps me from going insane
"I may be crazy, but it keeps me from going insane"
Small: You know, in the days when I started, if you had Chet Atkins name on your record as a producer and it w
"You know, in the days when I started, if you had Chet Atkins' name on your record as a producer and it was on RCA, you could work the road. It didn't have to be a big hit record, it just had to have that on it"
Small: Chet loved artists. He did. But he was caught up in the system. He had two hats. He had to have em beca
"Chet loved artists. He did. But he was caught up in the system. He had two hats. He had to have 'em because he did two things: he was an artist, and he was an executive"
Small: Besides that, I felt guilty. I thought for some reason... I was alive, and Buddy and those boys were de
"Besides that, I felt guilty. I thought for some reason... I was alive, and Buddy and those boys were dead, and I didn't know how, but somehow I'd caused it"
Small: Now, I was on drugs, and that didnt help a whole lot. He hated that. That was part of where Chet and I
"Now, I was on drugs, and that didn't help a whole lot. He hated that. That was part of where Chet and I had problems, so I take complete blame for that"
Small: I never have any problem getting enthusiastic with a good song and a good band
"I never have any problem getting enthusiastic with a good song and a good band"
Small: Honesty is something you cant wear out
"Honesty is something you can't wear out"
Small: Dont ever try and be like anybody else and dont be afraid to take risks
"Don't ever try and be like anybody else and don't be afraid to take risks"
Small: But Buddy was an upper. He was happy. He loved music, and he was really happy. I dont know... I dont be
"But Buddy was an upper. He was happy. He loved music, and he was really happy. I don't know... I don't believe in reincarnation at all, but if all that stuff is true, then he might have been on his last time around"
Small: Because Ritchie Valens WAS the real deal. He was only starting, but in the time he spent in the busines
"Because Ritchie Valens WAS the real deal. He was only starting, but in the time he spent in the business, he made big impact. I don't know if anybody could have made a bigger one"
Small: Mainly what I learned from Buddy... was an attitude. He loved music, and he taught me that it shouldnt
"Mainly what I learned from Buddy... was an attitude. He loved music, and he taught me that it shouldn't have any barriers to it"
Small: I mean, I think were put here on earth to make your own destiny, to begin with. I dont think theres any
"I mean, I think we're put here on earth to make your own destiny, to begin with. I don't think there's anything you can do this way or that way to change anything"
Small: But you know, the system almost destroyed itself while it was goin on trying to destroy us
"But you know, the system almost destroyed itself while it was goin' on trying to destroy us"
Small: I was king of the mountain for a long time, well, I dont want that no more. I like to perform every onc
"I was king of the mountain for a long time, well, I don't want that no more. I like to perform every once in a while for people who want to see me, and cut albums of music that is what I'm really about"
Small: I love Johnny Cash, and I respect Johnny Cash. Hes the biggest. Hes like an Elvis in this business, but
"I love Johnny Cash, and I respect Johnny Cash. He's the biggest. He's like an Elvis in this business, but no, he's never been the rebel"
Small: I didnt aim at anything except good music
"I didn't aim at anything except good music"
Small: Cuz I was never pretty anyway and never cared anything about that
"Cuz I was never pretty anyway and never cared anything about that"
Small: But ya know what, I am a part of something that happened. Im a part of the music that happened. My voic
"But ya know what, I am a part of something that happened. I'm a part of the music that happened. My voice is one more instrument, is what it is. So that's the way I feel about people who play on sessions"
Small: And the whole thing is that youre treated like a step-child. Here it was down here, everything in the b
"And the whole thing is that you're treated like a step-child. Here it was down here, everything in the black, because they were stealing, basically. Stealing from us old country boys down here"
Small: Jessi is a great person. She really is. Shes been a friend to me all through all my bad times, and shes
"Jessi is a great person. She really is. She's been a friend to me all through all my bad times, and she's understood what I was doing. She came up with that one saying, which was great"
Small: Finally, my manager negotiated a deal where I got to produce my own records
"Finally, my manager negotiated a deal where I got to produce my own records"
Small: A lot of times they dont want to hear it. But you know, if some good is done to you, you should pass it
"A lot of times they don't want to hear it. But you know, if some good is done to you, you should pass it on"
Small: You know, I feel sorry for the young artists
"You know, I feel sorry for the young artists"