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.
Bob Wills Is Still the King
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
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Between Dallas and Austin goin' to El Paso, whoops.
Now this is what gave us the idea to come down here,
This is a song about a guy that probably did as much
For our kind of music as anybody.
Well, the Honky Tonks in Texas
Were my natural second home
In the rose of San Antone.
I grew up on music
That we call western swing
It don't matter whose in Austin
Bob Wills is still the king.
Lawd, I can still remember
The way things were back then
In spite of all the hard times
I'd live it all again.
To hear the Texas Playboys
And Tommy Duncan sing
Makes me proud to be from Texas
Where Bob Wills is still the king.
You can hear the Grand Ol Opry
In Nashville, Tennessee
It's the home of country music
On that we all agree.
But when you cross that ol' Red River hoss
That just don't mean a thing
Once youre down in Texas
Bob Wills is still the king.
If you aint never been there
Then I guess you ain't been told
That you just can't live in Texas
Unless you got alot of soul.
It's the home of Willie Nelson
The home of western swing
He'll be the first to tell you
Bob Wills is still the king...
The lyrics to Waylon Jennings's song "Bob Wills Is Still the King" are a tribute to the influence and legacy of the Texas swing musician, Bob Wills. The song starts with a personal anecdote of Jennings writing the song while traveling to El Paso and the inspiration for the song being the impact Wills had on the roots of their music. The first verse sets the scene for the honky-tonks in Texas being Jennings' second home and how tipping your hat to Texas ladies was a sign of respect. The second verse is the heart of the song and is where Jennings reminisces about growing up listening to western swing with Bob Wills' Texas Playboys being a major influence. The chorus is a declaration that no matter who is playing in Austin, Bob Wills will always be the king in Texas.
In the third verse, Jennings talks about his memories of the past and the hard times, but he would "live it all again" just to hear the Texas Playboys and Tommy Duncan sing. The last verse emphasizes the soulfulness of Texas and how it takes a certain kind of person to thrive in Texas. Texas is the home of Willie Nelson and the center of western swing, both of which are proud to acknowledge that Bob Wills is still the king. Jennings adds that no matter how great the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville may be, once you cross the Red River into Texas, Bob Wills is the defining symbol of Texas music.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's a song I wrote on a plane
I wrote this song on a plane while traveling between Dallas and Austin, on my way to El Paso.
Between Dallas and Austin goin' to El Paso, whoops.
I was traveling from Dallas to Austin, on my way to El Paso.
Now this is what gave us the idea to come down here,
This trip and the experiences inspired me to write a song about a person who contributed significantly to our music.
This is a song about a guy that probably did as much
For our kind of music as anybody.
I am writing this song to pay tribute to Bob Wills, who played a vital role in developing our genre of music, as much as anyone else.
Well, the Honky Tonks in Texas
Were my natural second home
The way you tip your hat to the ladies
In the rose of San Antone.
Texas honky-tonks were like a second home to me. And there was a way of respecting women by tipping hats to them in places like the Rose of San Antone.
I grew up on music
That we call western swing
It don't matter who's in Austin
Bob Wills is still the king.
My roots are in western swing music, and regardless of who is in Austin, Bob Wills remains a legend and a king in our hearts and minds.
Lawd, I can still remember
The way things were back then
In spite of all the hard times
I'd live it all again.
I can still vividly recollect the past and cherish the memories of those times, even though they were not without hardships.
To hear the Texas Playboys
And Tommy Duncan sing
Makes me proud to be from Texas
Where Bob Wills is still the king.
Listening to the Texas Playboys and Tommy Duncan sing makes me feel proud to be from Texas, where Bob Wills is still an icon and a hero for us.
You can hear the Grand Ol Opry
In Nashville, Tennessee
It's the home of country music
On that we all agree.
The Grand Ol Opry in Nashville, Tennessee is undoubtedly the home of country music that everyone agrees upon.
But when you cross that ol' Red River hoss
That just don't mean a thing
Once you're down in Texas
Bob Wills is still the king.
While the Grand Ol Opry is famous, when you come down to Texas, the Red River doesn't separate us from the fact that Bob Wills is still considered the king.
If you ain't never been there
Then I guess you ain't been told
That you just can't live in Texas
Unless you got a lot of soul.
If you have never been to Texas, you may not know that to live there, you need to have an excellent soul, a strong character, and the will to embrace Texas culture and way of living.
It's the home of Willie Nelson
The home of western swing
He'll be the first to tell you
Bob Wills is still the king...
Willie Nelson is from Texas, and western swing is a significant part of the state's culture. And even Willie Nelson agrees with us that Bob Wills will always be considered the king.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: WAYLON JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind