Waylon Jennings Impact On Country Music

932 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: country music history

Most americans have probably heard the phrase, “Mamas don’t let your babies to grow up to be cowboys.” That phrase is one from one of Waylon Jennings most prominent songs. Jennings was one of the many country music stars that started the outlaw country music movement. Outlaw country was not recognized by most country music enthusiasts but it soon took over and swept them off their feet. Jennings also incorporated rock into his music, which opened the door to a wide variety of genres and listeners. Waylon Jennings left an everlasting impression on country music which earned him a name as one of the greatest country music stars. Traveling back in time to when only music only listened to on the radio, Waylon Arnold Jennings was born. Jennings …show more content…

He was signed by A&M, but that soon fell out due to insufficient sales. He signed under RCA by Chet Atkins, along with Willie Nelson, where Jennings produced multiple successful albums. (Dansby). Jennings with the Kimberleys, won his first grammy in 1969 for Best Country Performance by group. In 1974, Jennings had two songs reach number one on the country music charts; this was Jennings turning point. In 1975, Waylon reached the top of the pop charts. Reaching the top of pop charts for a country singer back then was unheard of. Around the same time Jennings was honored as Country Music Association as Male Vocalist of the year. Jennings soon teamed up with his old friend Willie Nelson. Together, they produced Waylon and Willie in 1978 (Biography). One of their many duets “Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys,” earned Jennings his second grammy. Jennings being able to appeal to a wide variety of listeners, proved him to be one of country music …show more content…

In the early 70s multiple DEA agents came knocking at Waylon’s offices. They were waiting for a search warrant to look for a drug shipment from New York (Dansby). They arrested Jennings for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; the case was dropped was dropped within 6 weeks. His cocaine addiction did not get any better. Jennings would stumble across stage and he wouldn’t be able to finish a performance. He finally realized that he needed to do something about his addiction. He moved back to Arizona with his wife Jessi Colter. Jennings completely quit the drug one day in 1984 and never went back. Almost a year later after Jennings recovery, Johnny Cash gathered Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings together and formed a band. This wasn’t a typical band: it had 4 of the greatest legends as members. They had many hits including “Highwayman,” but the song that proved themselves was “Desperados Waiting on a train,” (Dansby). They split up for a couple years, but reconvened and re-formed the Highwaymen once again. The Highwayman only came out with two albums, Highwaymen and Highwaymen II, but the second one wasn’t as successful as the first

Show More
Related

  • Reese Case: Thomas C. Reese Aka Tottie

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    the 1970 's and 1980 's and was arrested in 1983 by the DEA. In the Reese case I can cite over eight drug

    Read More

  • Bob Probert CTE Report

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bob Probert was a 45 year old man with 4 kids and a wife when he passed away from CTE. He drank, did drugs, and was a womanizer but he didn’t want his kids to find out. He knew they eventually would though and he said that when they did find out, he wanted it to be “straight from the source” (1.). He used to snort cocaine. Once when he was caught while smuggling drugs over the Detroit-Windsor border, he dumped it in the toilet. The first time he tried cocaine was in 1983. It was post-game and before long he was buying an ounce a week which was $800 so it was about $42,000 a year. His work permit was revoked by the US government. He met his wife in Relax Plaza in Windsor and even after he was caught on the border she still stayed with him. To pass drug tests, he would microwave his urine so it would come up clean.

    Read More

  • Informative Speech: The Development Of Country Music

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thesis Statement: Originating in the 1920s, country music developed four distinct generations and it reflected American’s lives and values.

    Read More

  • Music: Western Swing in Texas in 1930

    437 Words  | 1 Pages

    The “king of Western swing,” Bob Wills, was a prominent figure from the 1930s through 1950s. At at a young age he learned to play the fiddle and he and his father performed at dances and other social gatherings. He was exposed to other genres of music as a young boy such a blues, conjunto and mariachi, but it was the new sounds of jazz that inspired him to experiment with traditional country music. In 1929 Wills moved to Fort Worth, Texas, were he formed a band, the Wills Fiddle Band, which would soon change to Light Crust Doughboys. Their music was played was played on the Fort Worth radio station, KFJZ radio, and their unique sound quickly spread which is what the radio advertisers needed during the economic downfall. However, in 1933 Wills left the band and formed a new one called Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys and they toured together over the next forty years. In 1945 Wills appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and insisted that there be a horn and drum section on stage. The audience was surprisingly pleased with this unwanted change by the directors. Despite his somewhat strained relationship with Nashville, the local country music establishment formally recognized Wills and his important overall impact on country music when the Country Music Association Hall of Fame inducted him in 1968 (Hartman, 146). Bob Wills died in 1975, but was still a major influence in up and coming young country artists like Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack.

    Read More

  • Evaluation of Modern Country Versus Oldies Country Music

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Times have changed, and along with the times so has country music. American country music lovers have went from Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings, just two of the many classic oldies, to Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, two very appealing country music artists. However, it is not only the tune of the music that has changed, it is the image, the appeal, and overall the type of icons the media is portraying these modern music stars as. Icons such as Lynn and Jennings had identifiable features within their music as well as their appearance that spoke sweet southern belle and rugged twang. Whereas Underwood’s and Bryan’s appeal now is much more sexualized than it was during the oldies. These changes affect the way modern day singers are marketed compared to former country music stars, instead of focusing on talent it is now looks.

    Read More

  • George Harvey Strait Essay

    2050 Words  | 5 Pages

    George Harvey Strait, is a an American singer, actor, songwriter, and music producer, known as the “King of Country”, of the twentieth century to present. Strait was a vocalist blessed with good looks and a vibrant personality. He is one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. George was a 50s baby. He is also known for his neotraditionalist country style, cowboy look , and being one of the first and main country artists to bring country music back to its roots and away from the pop country era in the 1980s. George Strait has been a country music icon since the 1980s.

    Read More

  • The History of the Grand Ole Opry

    1686 Words  | 4 Pages

    For almost 90 years, The Grand Ole Opry has withstood the test of time to become one of the tried and true traditions in country music. From the show's humble beginnings as an obscure radio program, to it's renowned place today as one of the premiere stages for music, The Grand Ole Opry has had an extremely colorful and interesting existence. Over the 88 years that have passed since the show's inception, The Grand Ole Opry has featured many talented performers. Those performers, along with social changes and economics, have all contributed to the growth and success of The Grand Ole Opry.

    Read More

  • Johnny Cash and Luke Bryan

    1286 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the other hand, Luke Bryan had a pretty great life growing up as a child. Thomas Luther Bryan was born on July 17, 1976 (Student Resources). Everyone calls him Luke because that’s what he has preferred since he was a little boy. Luke was into country music ever since he was born. Tons of memories he made with his family, like sitting in a truck singing country music at the top of their lungs. As he grew up and got older he started to play in front of people and start...

    Read More

  • Buddy Holly’s Influence on Rock n’ Roll Music

    1702 Words  | 4 Pages

    The music industry during the 1940s was filled with many talented artists who impacted the music industry and the history of rock n’ roll forever. But one of the very well known and talented artists was Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly was the first to pioneer new music genres and progressive music. Charles Hardin Holley (1936-1959) was an American musician and artist whose creative career began in 1956. The family name is correctly spelled “Holley” but his first recording contract from Decca Records in 1956 spelled his last name “Holly” and he kept it that way for the rest of his career (Griggs 1). Holly took a very influential position in the music industry and built an audience for his Rock and Roll music very quickly due to his unique voice and advanced knowledge of music. Buddy Holly is a prime example of a musical pioneer who blended resources from various music genres including a variety of popular genres such as rhythm and blues (RNB), oriental, and African (Schinder and Schwartz 85).

    Read More

  • Johnny Cash and Luke Bryan

    2023 Words  | 5 Pages

    Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas on February 26, 1932 (Enslow 19). He began to take an interest to music when his father bought a radio. His mother loved listening to music and his mother and Johnny would sing songs all throughout the house. Taught by his mother and childhood friend, he learned to play guitar (Enslow 19). Working hard and practicing, he became very good at guitar and singing. However, he grew up through the Great Depression and this was very difficult for him and his family. In Edward Enslow’s “The Man in Black” Johnny Cash states, “We were very poor, and I almost died of starvation as a child.” This quote shows how life was a struggle for Cash in his early life. Facing all the many challenges was difficult for him but he found a way through it. Through his older brother Jack, he was able to cope with his life growing up. Jack was a huge role model to Johnny growing up, he would teach...

    Read More

  • Hank Williams Accomplishments

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hank Williams Jr as we know him was born Hank Randall Williams, born in small town Shreveport, Louisiana, on May 26, 1949. Hank Jr was only three when his father Hank died, but that did not stop his music dream. At just the age of 8 Hank Jr began singing his dad songs on stage. “Williams made his stage debut at the age of 8 and his first appearance at Nashville's famed Grand Ole Opry at age 11. At age 15, Williams had his first Top 5 hit on the country charts. " (http://www.biography.com/) Even though his father was gone, Hank Jr helped carry on his legacy through music. His mother being his biggest supporter, helped him along the way.

    Read More

  • Country Music: From Backwood to Hollywood

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shmoop Editorial Team. Country Music History Timeline of Important Dates. Shmoop.com [Web site]. Accessed 21 May 2014 at: http://www.shmoop.com/country-music-history/timeline.html

    Read More

  • How Did Perry Bradford Change The Sound Of African-American Popular Music?

    198 Words  | 1 Pages

    Perry Bradford was an artist, musician, piano player and vaudeville and minstrel entertainer who always showed signs of change the sound of American popular music by persuading Okeh Records to release the first Blues record in 1920. Bradford was certain that there was a business opportunity for African-American music went for African-American shoppers. He experienced serious difficulties the record organizations in New York of this, yet he kept at it and figured out how to get Okeh records offered by the idea in 1920.

    Read More

  • Robert Johnson Essay

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    On November 23, 1936, Johnson recorded his music for the first time. The first song he recorded was "Terraplane Blues." It became a best-selling hit for Vocalon, a Columbia Records specialty label. In June of 1937, Johnson recorded for his fifth and final time. Johnson only recorded 29 songs during his lifetime. Johnson would have recorded many more songs and may have been an even bigger legend than he already is if his life was cut short.

    Read More

  • Hank Williams Biography

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    scarred and disfigured, he was somehow inspired. He used this tragic event -- that was meant to be a setback -- as a catapult to launch the new Hank Williams, Jr. into the challenge of stardom (encyclopedia.com). The music world caught on to this change around 1979, the year he released his first million-selling album, Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound. This album began a streak of 30 Top Ten hits that continued until 1990. From 1982 to 1990, Hank had numerous awards for Entertainer of the Year and Best Country Vocal Collaboration. In 1989, he even had a version of his song, “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight”, used as the theme song for Monday Night Football!

    Read More

More about Waylon Jennings Impact On Country Music

Open Document