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Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard Good Ol' Boys by Waylon Jennings

Artist Biography For Waylon Jennings

Waylon Arnold Jennings June 15 1937 – February 13 2002 Was An American Singer Songwriter And Musician. Jennings Began Playing Guitar At Eight And Began Performing At 14 On KVOW Radio. His First Band Was The Texas Longhorns. Jennings Worked As A DJ On KVOW KDAV KYTI And KLLL. In 1958 Buddy Holly Arranged Jennings's First Recording Session Of "Jole Blon" And "When Sin Stops Love Begins". Holly Hired Him To Play Bass. In Clear Lake Iowa The Story Is Told That Jennings Gave Up His Seat On The Ill-Fated Flight In 1959 That Crashed And Killed Holly J. P. Richardson Ritchie Valens And Pilot Roger Peterson.

Jennings Then Worked As A DJ In Coolidge Arizona And Phoenix. He Formed A Rockabilly Club Band The Waylors. He Recorded For Independent Label Trend Records And A&M Records Before Succeeding With RCA Victor After Achieving Creative Control.

During The 1970s Jennings Was Instrumental In The Inception Of Outlaw Country Movement. He Released Critically Acclaimed Albums Lonesome On'ry And Mean And Honky Tonk Heroes Followed By Hit Albums Dreaming My Dreams As Well As Are You Ready For The Country. In 1976 He Released The Album Wanted! The Outlaws With Willie Nelson Tompall Glaser And Jessi Colter The First Platinum Country Music Album. That Success Was Followed By Ol' Waylon And The Hit Song "Luckenbach Texas". Jennings Was Featured In The 1978 Album White Mansions Performed By Various Artists Documenting The Lives Of People In The Confederacy During The Civil War. The Songs On The Album Were Written By Paul Kennerley. By The Early 1980s Jennings Was Struggling With A Cocaine Addiction Which He Quit In 1984. Later He Joined The Country Supergroup The Highwaymen With Willie Nelson Kris Kristofferson And Johnny Cash Which Released Three Albums Between 1985 And 1995. During That Period Jennings Released The Successful Album Will The Wolf Survive. He 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 Films And Television Series. He Was The Balladeer For The Dukes Of Hazzard Composing And Singing The Show's Theme Song And Providing Narration For The Show. In 2001 He Was Inducted Into The Country Music Hall Of Fame Which He Chose Not To Attend. In 2007 He Was Posthumously Awarded The Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award By The Academy Of Country Music.

Jennings's Music Was Characterized By His "powerful" Singing Voice Noted By His "rough-Edged Quality" As Well As His Phrasing And Texture. He Was Also Recognized For His "spanky-Twang" Guitar Style. To Create His Sound He Used A Pronounced 'phaser' Effect' Plus A Mixture Of Thumb And Fingers During The Rhythmic Parts While Using Picks For The Lead Runs. He Combined Hammer-On And Pull-Off Riffs With Eventual Upper-Fret Double Stops And Modulation Effects. Jennings Played A 1953 Fender Telecaster A Used Guitar That Was A Gift From The Waylors. Jennings's Bandmates Adorned His Guitar With A Distinctive Leather Cover That Featured A Black Background With A White Floral Work. Jennings Further Customized It By Filing Down The Frets To Lower The Strings On The Neck To Obtain The Slapping Sound. Among His Other Guitars Jennings Used A 1950 Fender Broadcaster From The Mid-1970s Until He Gave It To Guitarist Reggie Young In 1993. The Leather Covers Of His Guitars Were Carved By Leather Artist Terry Lankford.

His Signature Image Was Characterized By His Long Hair And Beard As Well As His Black Hat And The Black Leather Vest He Wore During His Appearances.

Jennings's Music Had A Major Influence On Several Neotraditionalist And Alternative Country Artists Including Hank Williams Jr. The Marshall Tucker Band 124 Travis Tritt Steve Earle Jamey Johnson John Anderson His Son Shooter Jennings Sturgill Simpson And Hank Williams III.

In 2008 His First Posthumous Album Waylon Forever Was Released. The Album Consisted Of Songs Recorded With His Son Shooter When He Was 16. In 2012 Waylon The Music Inside A Three-Volume Project Consisting Of Covers Of Jennings's Songs By Different Artists Was Released. The Same Year It Was Announced For September The Release Of Goin' Down Rockin' The Last Recordings A Set Of 12 Songs Recorded By Jennings And Bassist Robby Turner Before His Death In 2002. Jennings's Family Was Reluctant To Release Any New Material Because They Did Not Feel Comfortable At The Time. The Songs Only Featured Jennings And Turner On The Bass While Further Accompaniment Would Be Added Later. Ten Years After Turner Completed The Recordings With The Help Of Former Waylors. The Jennings Family Approved The Release Despite The Launch Of A New Business Focused On His Estate. Shooter Jennings Arranged Deals For A Clothing Line While Also Launching A Renewed Website And Started Talks With Different Producers About The Making Of A Biographical Film. . User-Contributed Text Is Available Under The Creative Commons By-SA License Additional Terms May Apply.

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Waylon Jennings - Top Tracks

The Highwaymen - HighwaymanWaylon JenningsThe Highwaymen's 'Highwayman'. Click To Listen To The Highwaymen On Spotify:
Are You Sure Hank Done It This WayWaylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RCA Records Label Nashville Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way · Waylon Jennings Greatest Hits ...
I' Ve Always Been Crazy
Views: 22.8M
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RLG/BMG Heritage I've Always Been Crazy · Waylon Jennings I've Always Been Crazy 1978 Sony ...
Outlaw Sh*T - Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsAfter Hearing This Great Production, I Saw Pictures As The Lyrics Were Sung. So This Is A Video Of What I Saw. Long Live Waylon.
I Ain' T Living Long Like ThisWaylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RCA/Legacy I Ain't Living Long Like This · Waylon Jennings What Goes Around Comes Around 1979 ...
Waymore' S Blues
Views: 10.8M
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By SMCMG Waymore's Blues · Waylon Jennings Dreaming My Dreams 1975 Sony Music Entertainment ...
I' M A Ramblin' Man
Views: 9M
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RCA/Legacy I'm A Ramblin' Man · Waylon Jennings The Ramblin' Man 1974 Sony Music ...
Drinkin' And Dreamin'
Views: 7.5M
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RCA Records Label Nashville Drinkin' And Dreamin' · Waylon Jennings Turn The Page 1985 Sony ...
Waylon Jennings - Wild OnesWaylon Jennings “Wild Ones” By Waylon Jennings Released In 1994, “Wild Ones” Is A Spirited Recollection Of Waylon Jennings' ...
Lonesome On' Ry And Mean
Views: 5.8M
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RLG/BMG Heritage Lonesome, On'ry And Mean · Waylon Jennings Lonesome, On'ry And Mean 1973 ...
Rose In Paradise
Views: 3.6M
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By Universal Music Group Rose In Paradise · Waylon Jennings Hangin' Tough An MCA Nashville ...
Only Daddy That' Ll Walk The LineWaylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RCA/Legacy Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line · Waylon Jennings Only The Greatest Originally Released ...
Clyde - Waylon Jennings
Views: 2.6M
Waylon JenningsClyde Plays Electric Bass Plays It With Finesse And Grace Set On The Porch Ain't Got No Shoes Pickin' The Bass And Singin' The Blues ...
Waylon Jennings - AmericaWaylon Jennings “America” By Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings Was An American Country Music Singer, Songwriter, And ...
Honky Tonk Heroes Like MeWaylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By Columbia Honky Tonk Heroes Like Me · Waylon Jennings Wanted! The Outlaws 1973 Sony Music ...
Clyde
Views: 1.8M
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By Legacy Recordings Clyde · Waylon Jennings Music Man 1980 Sony Music Entertainment Released ...
Waylon Jennings - Wrong
Views: 1.2M
Waylon Jennings “Wrong” By Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings Was An American Country Music Singer, Songwriter, And Musician.
Honky Tonk Heroes
Views: 841.9K
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RCA Records Label Nashville Honky Tonk Heroes · Waylon Jennings Honky Tonk Heroes 1973 Sony ...
This Time
Views: 837.3K
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RCA/Legacy This Time · Waylon Jennings This Time 1974 Sony Music Entertainment Released On: ...
Good Hearted Woman
Views: 429.6K
Waylon JenningsProvided To YouTube By RLG/BMG Heritage Good Hearted Woman · Waylon Jennings · Willie Nelson Ultimate Waylon Jennings ...