The story of both the song “Honky Tonk Heroes” and the album illustrates how sometimes through conflict can come great creativity. If Billy Joe Shaver had never accosted Waylon Jennings in that hallway, who knows what may have happened with the Outlaw movement.
As reported by Saving Country Music in July, a new 6-part, 12-hour documentary named ‘They Called Us Outlaws: Cosmic Cowboys, Honky Tonk Heroes, and the Rise of Renegade Troubadours’ is on the way, featuring over 90 interviews and 75 live performances, with Jessi Colter executive producing.
Dolly Parton will be one of the next inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The next question is how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will consider country performers for induction moving forward. This moment presents a slippery slope.
It’s not every day that new recordings are unearthed that feature Waylon Jennings, but that’s what the new album from Tommy Townsend called Southern Man to be released on April 29th boasts. Tommy Townsend is a Waylon Jennings understudy.
As we look back on 2021 and before we look forward to 2022, it’s important we take the time to pay tribute to these individuals who left a mark on the country and roots music world that will never fade. Here are the performers, players, songwriters, and others we lost in 2021.
Of course you usually say nice things upon someone’s passing. But when Dolly Parton said, “I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t been there” as she eulogized Uncle Bill after his passing on Wednesday, April 7th at the age of 85, you known it’s the honest truth.
“Well, I’m taking this one,” Richie Albright told to Waylon Jennings, meaning he was willing to be the fall guy for the cocaine package. Waylon recalled in his autobiography, “Sometimes I thought Richie would’ve leapt in front of a freight train for me.” But Waylon wouldn’t allow it this time.
Richie Albright was the most important drummer in country music history, and one of the most influential side players in the genre ever, and did it from an instrument traditionally frown upon in country music for stepping out, if even being present. “There’s another way of doing things, and that’s rock ‘n roll,” is the quote.
The second night of a two-night residency at the The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville—a.k.a the “Mother Church of Country Music”—Waylon Jennings held court with a now legendary band, and numerous special guests. It did constitute a proper final bow.
The legendary performance of Waylon Jennings at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on August 12th, 1978 was finally reissued to the public on May 15th in DVD form. Now it has also finally been made available On Demand on Amazon via Eagle Rock Entertainment.
Those that know Waylon Jennings know that one of the primary contributions he brought to country music was importing a little bit of across-the-tracks rock ‘n’ roll influence into the genre. Unlike many modern country performers, Waylon did it with a respect for the original roots of country music, but he undoubtedly did it.
Any hardcore Waylon Jennings fan worth their salt knows all about what’s been affectionately coined over the years as “The Outlaw Performance” where Waylon Jennings held court at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville in 1978. However obtaining a full copy of the concert has been difficult.
It’s the job of a drummer to be heard and not seen. Naming the “greatest” of anything is always a subjective exercise. But this isn’t just a skills competition. Influence, importance to culture, and intangibles beyond drumming all factored into the selection of the below names, and why they should be regarded as the greatest.
Terry Jennings, the oldest son of country music legend Waylon Jennings, as well as an author, manager, publisher, roadie, and talent scout, has passed away. He died Friday morning (1-25) at the age of 62 according to his son Josh. He had spent the later part of his life living near Waco, TX.
TONIGHT (12-9) at the stroke of midnight Central time, The Highwaywoman Brigitte London, a great songwriter and editor of Outlaw Magazine will be on Big G’s Texas Roadshow, streaming online at revfmradio.com. Brigitte will be talking about among other things “Outlaw Afternoons in Luckenbach” which will be a monthly event running from March to October […]