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IN MEMORY OF A SINGING OUTLAW: Waylon Jennings

© Mary Trotter Kion

Folk music appeared during the Middle Ages in the British Isles and continental Europe. It continued during the colonial period in Mexico and South America where people labored hard to survive and had little source of entertainment other than that of their own making. But they could make music. They could dance. And they could sing. Their music was heard at every occasion whether it was in celebration of a harvest, at village fairs, or at weddings. Their dance steps were simple ones but in time the dances, as well as the music, developed to more elaborate arrangements.

Though considered a Christian society, some still clung to their heritage of pagan religious and ritual dances, dating back for centuries. As time passed the meaning of the dances and the music may have slipped from memory but the music remained.

As the new country called American developed people flocked from all corners of the earth and spread to the far edges of the Great Plains. They brought their families, their belongings and their flocks. They also brought their music, each region a little different from the next.

The Irish brought their jigs, the Scots brought their flings, and every nation brought their own special brand of music, including the blacks who were brought from Africa to be slaves. In time, a bit of this kind of music was added to that sort of tune, then a slice of something different from over there was added. The process continued while, seemingly, an invisible hand stirred what was later tagged as Country, then Country and Western music.

It was this blending that a young man, who was born in 1937 in Littlefield, Texas, grew up listening to. At first among his favorites was Jimmie Rodgers. Later his interest turned to such greats as Hank Williams, Webb Pierce and Ernest Tubb. Others of his favorites were Bobbie “Blue” Bland and B. B. King.

The name of this young man from Texas was Waylon Jennings. By the time Waylon was 12 he had formed his own band and was making guest appearances on a local station. That is were he met Buddy Holly in 1955. Waylon’s first record was produced by Holly who used Jennings as a bass player. It must have been a terrible blow to Jennings when he learned that Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper had all been killed in an airplane crash. Waylon had given up his seat on that fateful air ride to J.D. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.