Waylon Jennings

Pioneer of the outlaw country movement, Waylon Jennings shaped modern country music.

Chronology: 1937-06-15 – 2002-02-13

Origins & Early Life

Waylon Arnold Jennings (born Wayland Arnold Jennings, June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at age eight and performed at 14 on KVOW radio, after which he formed his first band, the Texas Longhorns.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Jennings left high school at age 16, determined to become a musician, and worked as a performer and DJ on KVOW, KDAV, KYTI, KLLL, in Coolidge, Arizona, and Phoenix. In 1958, Buddy Holly arranged Jennings's first recording session, a cover of "Jole Blon", and hired him to play bass. Jennings gave up his seat on the ill-fated airplane flight in 1959 that crashed and killed Holly, J. P.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

"the Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens. Jennings then returned to Texas, taking several years off from music before eventually moving to Arizona and forming a rockabilly club band, the Waylors, which became the house band at JD's, a club in Tempe, Arizona. He recorded for independent label Trend Records and A&M Records, but did not achieve success until moving to RCA Victor in 1965. In 1972 he hired Neil Reshen as his manager, who negotiated significantly better touring and recording contracts. After Jennings gained creative control from RCA Records, he released the critically acclaimed albums Lonesome, On'ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes, followed by the hit albums Dreaming My Dreams featuring number-one hit "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" and Are You Ready for the Country.

Source: Wikipedia