Waylon Jennings

Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American country singer-songwriter and guitarist. Jennings first became famous as a member of Buddy Holly's backing band. On February 3, 1959, while playing shows with Holly, he gave up his airplane seat to J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. The airplane crashed after it took off killing Richarson, Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly. Jennings stated that in the years afterward he felt severe guilt over the crash.

By the 1970s, Jennings had become associated with a country music scene known as outlaw country. Jennings recorded a series of albums with Willie Nelson in the late 1970s which increased the popularity of the outlaw country sound.

In 1979, he recorded the theme song for the television show The Dukes of Hazzard. Jennings also became the narrator of the show for all seven seasons.

In the 1980s he formed the group The Highwaymen along with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.

In 2001, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

On February 13, 2002, Waylon Jennings died in Chandler, Arizona from health complications due to diabetes.

Singles
"Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" (1977), #1 on Billboard's country chart
"Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"  (1978)
"Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)" (1980)

Related pages
List of country musicians from Texas

References

Category:Country musicians from Arizona
Category:American guitarists
Category:American rock musicians
Category:American rock singers
Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas
Category:Deaths from diabetes
Category:American Grammy Award winners
Category:1937 births
Category:2002 deaths