Waylon Jennings
Biography
Waylon Jennings was an American country singer, songwriter and actor, and a pioneer of outlaw country. He played guitar from age eight, performed on KVOW radio at 14, formed the Texas Longhorns and left school at 16. In 1958 Buddy Holly arranged his first recording session and hired him as a bassist. Jennings later formed the Waylors, signed with RCA Victor in 1965 and, after gaining creative control, released the acclaimed Lonesome, On'ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes. His 1976 collection Wanted! The Outlaws, made with Jessi Colter, Tompall Glaser and Willie Nelson, became the first country album certified platinum, and his solo album Ol' Waylon also went platinum. He earned a Grammy in 1969 for MacArthur Park, narrated The Dukes of Hazzard and sang its theme, appeared in Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird (1985), performed with the Highwaymen, and was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. He died in 2002.
64years old at death
- Born Littlefield
- Died Chandler
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Waylon Arnold Jennings (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 15 years1985 to 2000
Every film, newest first
- 2000Tom SawyerIMDb rating 6.0
- 1999Outlaw JusticeIMDb rating 5.6
- 1986StagecoachIMDb rating 5.9
- 1985Follow That BirdIMDb rating 6.8
Genres
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A first
Jennings was hired as the first DJ at KLLL in Lubbock after the Corbin family bought the station and switched it to a country format.
First role
At 14, Jennings tried out for a spot on KVOW in Littlefield, Texas. Owner J. B. McShan recorded the performance with Emil Macha, liked Jennings's style, and gave him a weekly 30-minute program.
A change of course
Jennings started as a DJ in 1956 and relocated to Lubbock. After the owner reprimanded him for his record choices, he was fired from KVOW for playing two Little Richard records back to back.
A first
Jennings's 1975 album Dreaming My Dreams featured the chart-topping single "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" and was the first of his solo studio albums to earn gold certification from the RIAA, starting a run of six straight such albums.
Waylon Jennings movies on Netflix
Worked with
Waylon Jennings shares two films with Kris Kristofferson, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Kris Kristofferson's page
Willie Nelson's page
Dee Bradley Baker's page
Kevin Michael Richardson's page
Richard Kind's page
Chevy Chase's page
Ken KwapisDirector, 1 film, 1985
All films by Ken Kwapis
All films by Ted Post
Bill CorcoranDirector, 1 film, 1999
All films by Bill Corcoran
Awards
Four awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum | Won | ||
| Horatio Alger Award | Won | ||
| Lifetime achievement award | Won | ||
| Texas Country Music Hall of Fame | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.