Synopses & Reviews
Equal parts outlaw, renegade, and legend, Waylon Jennings enjoyed a stellar music career for four decades and this no-holds-barred autobiography reveals the story of a man who infused conservative country music traditions with the energy of rock and roll to rewrite the rules of popular music in America. It chronicles all the chapters of Jenningss incredible life, including his beginnings as a dirt-poor son of a farm laborer; his role as Buddy Hollys protégé; his influential friendships with such luminaries as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and George Jones; the stunning success ushered in by his platinum 1976 anthology album, Wanted: The Outlaws; the drug habit that nearly destroyed him; and his three failed marriages and the journey that lead him to Jessi Colter, the woman who would become his wife for 25 years. With anecdotes, portraits, and little-known facts about Jenningss fellow country music stars, this book overflows with the honesty, true humor, and down-home charisma of an authentic honky-tonk hero.
Review
"As good a book about American popular music as one is likely to find." —Washington Post
Review
"Folksy, funny, spirited. . . . There are plenty of Waylon moments to be enjoyed . . . loving, insightful . . . filled with backcountry humor. . . . Unflinchingly, the book reads true to the man: if you like Waylon, you'll love Waylon." —Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Review
"Well-turned, sometimes salty . . . refreshing . . . candid . . . poignant . . . An honest spotlight on a passel of colorful characters . . . . One of the best of country's tell-alls, as warm, peculiar, and individualistic as Jennings's music itself." —Entertainment Weekly
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“What a life! And what a wonderful story of a country boy who despite hardships unimaginable attained success and stardom. A 'must read' for not anyone, but everyone." —Chet Atkins
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"Finally, here is the autobiography we've all been waiting for!" —Willie Nelson
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"Read Waylon if you love country music. And read it if you admire renegades who throw away the formula and play it the way they hear it in their heads . . . . Eminently readable . . . . Mr. Jennings tells his tales with humor and detail." —Dallas Morning News
Synopsis
Outlaw, renegade, legend, Waylon Jennings blazed a stellar career from honky-tonk roots through the rock 'n' roll fifties and four decades of country music. In
Waylon he tells the story of a man who made music that fired up millions.
Born dirt-poor, Waylon Jennings took all the grit of his hometown of Littlefield, Texas, into his sound. He shared living quarters with Johnny Cash, took songwriting tips from Roger Miller and encouragement from Willie Nelson, and hung out after hours with Kris Kristofferson and George Jones. His 1976 anthology album,
Wanted: The Outlaws, was a stunning platinum success.
But while the performer rewrote the rules of the nation's popular music, the star binged on an endless stream of cocaine and pills and staggered through three failed marriages. He kept the country fires raging until the end, joining Willie Nelson, Cash, and Kristofferson on their sold-out international tours as the Highwaymen.
Waylon is Jennings's no-holds-barred, tell-it-all story, overflowing with the honesty, humor, and down-home charisma of a honky-tonk hero.
About the Author
Waylon Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Lenny Kaye is an acclaimed music writer whose work has appeared in Crawdaddy, Creem, Hit Parader, Rolling Stone, and Village Voice. He is the author of You Call It Madness: The Sensuous Song of the Croon and has been playing guitar for Patti Smith since 1971. He lives in New York City.