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Waylon Jennings Bio

Waylon Jennings

Waylon Arnold Jennings was born June 15, 1937 in Littlefield, Texas. At the time of his death, he was widely considered one of the most celebrated and influential country musicians of our time. Teaching himself how to play guitar when he was only eight, Jennings formed his own band just two years later. Dropping out of high school in order to pursue music, Jennings was a disc jockey throughout his teen years. He soon befriended a then-unknown Buddy Holly. Their friendship would endure until Holly’s death. On February 3, 1959, known forever after as “the day the music died,” Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson all died in a tragic plane crash. Jennings was intended to be on the plane, but he gave his seat to Richardson, a fact that would engender severe guilt for many years to come.

Several years passed before Jennings again pursued music seriously. In Phoenix, Arizona, he began performing relentlessly, and it was here he developed his unique sound. He also earned loyal fans and enough money to pay the bills. Signing with A&M Records, Jennings enjoyed a few singles and meager celebrity. He was later referred to Chet Atkins, who signed him to RCA Victor. Shortly after, Jennings moved to Nashville.

Despite many albums and some success, Jennings was stifled by the “Nashville Sound.” He resented the lack of creative control awarded to artists in the 1960s country music scene, and like so many before him, Jennings developed a dependency on amphetamines to make it through the long hours and grueling schedule of touring. Just like his former roommate Johnny Cash, Jennings quickly became an addict.

Jennings was also familiar with country legend Willie Nelson who had retired from music during this period. Nelson had warned Jennings not to leave Phoenix, but Jennings didn’t listen. Now he found himself badly in debt and still without major commercial success. Adding to his troubles was an almost fatal brush with hepatitis in 1972. With everything crashing down at once, Jennings was on the brink of leaving music altogether.

But his luck turned around when he met Neil Reshen. Reshen offered to be Jennings’ new business manager and to renegotiate his contract. Jennings introduced his new manager to Nelson, and soon both musicians were under his management.

By 1973, Jennings was threatening to join Atlantic Records. Nelson began releasing albums under this label and quickly gained popularity. RCA panicked that they would lose Jennings as well, and his negotiations went very favorably (including almost total creative control).

With everything going Jennings’ way, he began releasing wildly successful albums one after the other and continuing to tour. To compensate for the added stress, he replaced amphetamines with cocaine, purportedly constituting a several thousand dollar a day habit.

But despite this, Jennings’ musical career still thrived. In 1976, he collaborated with Nelson on Wanted: The Outlaws! which went on to become the first ever platinum country album. In 1978, they scored another tremendous hit with the single Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.

But by the early 80s, cocaine had again decimated his earnings. Bankrupt and out of control, his work lost focus, and he was even arrested for cocaine possession, although the charges were later dropped. Inspired by his son, Jennings decided to get and stay clean. He entered rehab, kicked the habit permanently, and despite many health problems later in his life, continued to record and tour through the 90s.

Others may also recognize Jennings as the narrator of the popular television series The Dukes of Hazzard, for which he wrote the theme song Good Ol’ Boys.

He was also part of the successful band The Highwaymen, along with Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and longtime friend Nelson. In 1998, he joined another band, Old Dogs with Bobby Bare, Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis and children’s poet/songwriter Shel Silverstein.

In 2001, Jennings was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

After quitting cocaine, Jennings developed a dangerously large appetite. The excess of food brought on diabetes and even spurred a heart attack. In 2001, Jennings’s foot was amputated due to complications from diabetes. Not long after, on February 13, 2002, Jennings passed away in his sleep due to diabetes-related complications. He died in Chandler, Arizona at the age of 64. He is buried in Mesa, Arizona.

During his life, Jennings married four times. His first wife was Maxine Lawrence, whom he married in 1956. In 1967, he divorced his second wife, Lynne Jones. His third wife was Barbara Rood, who attempted to straighten Jennings’ finances but only managed to incite resentment within his band. The couple divorced soon after. His final marriage was to Jessi Colter from 1969 until his death. Jennings is survived by his six children and one step-daughter.