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June 25, 2009 COUNTRY WEEKLY'S Time Travel segment tells us that on this day in 1977, Waylon's Luckenbach, TX. was #1 for the 5th straight week. Shooter proposed marriage to his GF Drea DeMatteo recently onstage at his show in Utica, NY. Congrats! Last night on Jeopardy, Waylon was mentioned as a member of the Highwaymen. James Otto, Billy Ray Cyrus, and others have recently been quoted in Country Weekly as saying that Waylon is one of their biggest musical influences. Wail on, Hossheads. PS, new CDs from Hank Williams, jr. and John Anderson are very good. Hank was recently on The Jimmy Fallon show playing a Waylon telecaster! May 2009 cont. My granddaughter, Madeleine was born May 29. She's beautiful and healthy. Happy birthday to Jessi and Shooter this month. In this week's Country Weekly (June 3, George Strait on cover) They have a big article about Shooter and his producer working with the Oak Ridge Boys. The Oaks recorded their new cd at the former Hillbilly Central studios. It includes a sidebar about Waylon and his days at that studio long ago. Same issue has an artcle about Waymore's Outlaws. That's the new group with Ritchie Albright, Jigger Bridges, and Tommy Townsend. May 2009 Not Waylon related, but please let me brag a bit...On Friday, May 8, 2009, I got to see one of my favorites, Gordon Lightfoot in concert in Roanoke Civic Center. He hadn't played my area since I saw him there in 1977! I'm sure you remember him from his hits Sundown, Wreck of the edmond fitzgerald, If you could read my mind, etc. He also wrote That's what you get for loving me (recorded by Waylon), Cotton Jenny (Anne Murray), Ribbon of darkness (Marty Robbins), and Early morning rain (Elvis). He did a great show, and then I got to meet him. One of the highlights of my life! Thanx to his office for the backstage passes. And thanx to my son-in-law Dwayne for driving me and taking pics. Gord was very friendly and fun to talk to. Truly a legend. See a pic of him at Gordon and me with him at Gordon-Mike . April '09 One of my favorite singers, "The Voice", Vern Gosdin has passed away. He was 74. There was a good article with pics of Shooter in Country Weekly recently. He said he thinks Waylon would be proud of him, so long as he's proud of himself. See pics of Shooter and Drea's baby, Bama, HERE. March '09 Happy Spring! According to CMT.com, Shooter Jennings and Jamey Johnson will perform together on CROSSROADS, Monday, March 23, 10pm eastern. If you want everything Waylon ever did, Amazon.com's MP3 downloads has two from "Songs of the civil war" cd (An old unreconstructed & Rebel Soldier). I had never heard those before finding the MP3s there. Waylon's COUNTRY FOLK cd with the Kimberlys is available on cd now. Jan 2009. Happy New Year. This week's Country Weekly mag (Hottest Couples on the cover) has an article called Name that Tune. It has 2 pics of Waylon and mentions him twice. Recently on Jeopardy!, the category was TV Theme Lyrics. An answwer was "Makin' their way the only way they know how, that's just a little bit more than the law will allow." I guess you know the question. If you're like me, and want anything Waylon ever played or sang on, I found a great old Johnny Rodriguez song on Amazon downloads called "How could I love her so much and then lose her". Waylon plays lead guitar on it. Nov. 2008 In recent editions of COUNTRY WEEKLY are a half page ad for Waylon Forever, plus a good story (with good pics) of Shooter's part in creating that great cd. I also saw a commercial for Waylon Forever on RFD TV. 2009 Waylon calendars are online for you to print off now. Click here. Oct 2008 Waylon Live from Austin, TX '84 is available now. It's his first appearance on Austin City Limits, dvd and cd in one package. Check out this story about Waylon Forever Waylon Forever is in stores, and if you don't have it, you probably want it. Shooter has done a good job producing and he and his band sound great on the newly recorded music. Of course, Waylon sounded great in '96 when he recorded the vocals. This cd has 6 songs we've heard countless times (sounding a bit or a lot different here), plus one Waylon wrote (I found the body), and Cream's White room. Though some is modern country or southern rock (what else from Shooter and the 357's), some is almost heavy metal. White Room and some of the others proove Waylon could have been a rock star if he'd chosen to be. Lonesome Onry and mean could be a radio hit now if they'd play it. It's my fave here. Waymore's blues and I ain't living long like this are great too. The others are good and interesting. This might be the last new stuff from Waylon, so we'd better enjoy it. Thanx, Shooter. I'll be a paw-paw for the fourth time in May. Abigail and Carter will be getting a brother or sister. see my monkeys at http://sheetsm.tripod.com/images.html Sept. 2008 "WAYLON FOREVER", previously Waylon Returns, will be out Oct. 21. Amazon has it for preorder. Shooter produced, and he and his band The 357s play to some of Waylon's final recordings. Very sad to hear of Jerry Reed's passing. Good friend of Waylon, great singer, writer, guitarist, and actor. I saw him in concert twice, Once with Waylon in Sept. '83. Aug 2008 I got the Jamey Johnson cd mentioned below. It's the best and most country cd in a long time. Sounds like Waylon, Hank Jr. and David Allen Coe. Another cd (out in October) you may like...Johnny Cash Remixed. Produced by John Carter Cash and Snoop Dogg, it's original Cash vocals with new music added. About half are classics, the rest, I've never heard before. Some are country, some dance music, others, I'm not sure. Many are good, some are odd. Some are just Johnny, some duets with singers I've never heard of except Snoop Dogg. July 2008 I don't have it yet, but COUNTRY WEEKLY says that Jamey Johnson's new cd, "That Lonesome Song" sounds like Waylon's 70's thump. It contains a song called "Between Jennings and Jones", and 2 Waylon songs..."The door is always open" and "Dreaming my dreams". My friend Barbara sent me an older cd by Tommy Townsend called SOUTHERN MAN. Waylon and Jerry Bridges produced the album, and Waylon sings with him on the title cut. Check him out at www.tommytownsend.com . I wrote him and got this answer... Hey Mike, Great to hear from you. I'm glad you like the cd. Waylon's band has got back together. Richie Albright, Jerry Bridges ,Fred Newell and Eugene Moles from Bakersfield Ca, will be playing guitar. They have ask me to front the band. It is called Waymore's Outlaws. We have some dates coming up and have already done a couple. You can look us up at www.myspace.com/waymoresoutlaws Maybe we could come over there and do a show sometime if you know someone that could book us, Keep in touch. Thanks, Tommy Jerry "jigger" Bridges also wrote to ask me to let you all know about their group. On July 4th, on Jeopardy, an answer was "In the 1970's, Waylon & Willie told mammas, "Don't let your babies grow up to be these". I missed it the first time it aired, but saw Shooter on The Late Late Show on July 9. June 2008 Waylon's birthday was June 15. He would have been 71. The new and improved waylon.com is online. If you like jazz, or just like anything that Ol' Willie does, then his new cd with Wynton Marsalis is for you. Recorded live last year, "Two men with the blues" is a good jazzy bluesy cd. May 2008 In a recent Country Weekly, Miranda Lambert said she has puppies named Waylon & Jessi. April 2008 CMT did a special, The 100 greatest country videos. Waylon's "America" was #91..."Highwayman" was #77..."The Conversation" was #44...and Shooter's "4th of July" was # 69. If you search Waylon returns, you'll find a video clip. No details released yet, but I've heard that Waylon recorded some stuff with Shooter, who has evidently produced a forthcoming Waylon Returns cd. I ordered Waylon's cd "The taker/Tulsa" from amazon.com . I didn't already have that one on cd, so I assume it's never been released on cd before. There's also a new cd called The best of outlaw country, with Waylon on it. My grandson Carter turned one year old on March 30. Happy spring, Hossheads. Feb 2008. Johnny Knoxville has designed some new Waylon shirts. (He's a hosshead). They will be available at waylon.com soon. That shirt that Cyrus wears (see Dec 10 below) is available at waylon.com now. Willie Nelson's new cd Moment of Forever is being called his best in years, and I agree. With new songs by Willie, and some greats from Kris, Dave Mathews,Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, and even Kenny Chesney (who co-produced), this is also the most country cd he's done in a long time. "Gravedigger" reminds me of Johnny Cash. "When I was young and grandma wasn't old" is Nitty gritty dirt band style. Willie duets with Chesney on "Worry b gone" (I know he's smoked a bit of that in his time). He jams on "Taking on water", and sings the heck out of my favorite Dylan song, "Gotta serve somebody". Everything else is good to excellent too. This is definately the Willie cd to get. He's still got it, and knows how to use it. Happy 2008. Be sure to get you a Waylon calendar. info below. Remember the shirt of Waylons that i bought from his estate sale in 2000? On Christmas eve, I was moving it from a display case (with his hat) to a display bag. I felt something in the pocket. It was a set of his farkle dice! I never knew they were there! Waylon got me a Christmas present. December 10, 07 Congrats to Shooter and Drea, their first child was born. The baby's name is Alabama Gypsy Rose. I wonder if that makes me an uncle? :-) Good article and pics of Shooter in this week's Country Weekly (Brooks & Dunn on cover). On Billy Ray Cyrus's show Home at Last on CMT, he wore a Waylon shirt most of this week's episode. Happy Holidaze. November 2007. 2008 Waylon calendars are online at Calendar . Shooter sang "The conversation" with Holly Williams on CMT's "GIANTS, Hank Williams, Jr.". There's also some about him in this week's Country Weekly with Trace Adkins on the cover. HAPPY HOLIDAZE!!!! October 2007. I turned 46. The COUNTRY WEEKLY magazine with Sara Evens on the cover has a good pic and article about Shooter's new video for "Walk of Life". Shooter, Jessi, and many more duet with Deanna Carter on her new cd, THE CHAIN. July 2007 Hey all, finally got my Never Say Die dvd. It's almost better than when I was there in person for the taping! It is better in some ways. To see Waylon and band so close, and see everything from so many angles, and it sounds so so so good!! Plus, the additional 30 minute documentary is great too. Every home should have one. June 2007 Great News. Waylon's Never Say Die concert from January 2000 is finally being released on a dvd, along with the entire concert on 2 cds. It'll be out July 24. I was there with many other Hossheads, and it'll be great to see the show again. Hopefully you'll see me and many more of my friends in the audience. Here is the track list for "Never Say Die: The Final Concert Film": "Never Say Die" "Good Hearted Woman"/"Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" Trouble Man" "Amanda"/"A Couple More Years" "Waymore's Blues" "It's the World's Gone Crazy" "Love's the Only Chain" "I'm Not Lisa" "Storms Never Last" "Suspicious Minds" "Closing in on the Fire" "I'm a Ramblin' Man" "Help Me Make It Through the Night" "Havin' a Good Time" "Shakin' the Blues" "Nothing Catches Jesus by Surprise" "Never Been to Spain" "Drift Away" "I've Always Been Crazy" "Goin' Down Rockin'" "The Weight" "Can't You See" *Order from Amazon at Never say die dvd . Here's the COVER Thanx, Jeff! ALSO on July 24...A 42 track "The Essential Waylon Jennings". Not the same one as the earlier cd of the same name. This one has more hits and was put together by Shooter. The July 2nd COUNTRY WEEKLY has 2 pics and a short article about Waylon, plus a good pic of the Highwaymen. Carrie Underwood is on the cover. On Who wants to be a millionaire this week, one day a question was "What tv show's theme song ends with "Yee-haw!"? I bet you know. May 31,'07 Nearly 28 years and 9 months ago, Waylon Jennings looked out over the audience at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK and said: “Everybody whose wife is going to have a baby, raise their hand…" Waylon raised his own hand and right then and there announced publicly for the very first time that he and Jessi were expecting their first child. Waylon Albright Jennings, aka ‘Shooter’, was born the following May – May of 1979. Just recently, word leaked that Shooter and Drea are expecting. And, it has been confirmed….their first child is expected in December. On Thursday evening, May 17th 2007, Shooter Jennings took the stage at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK. (Thanx to Holly for this story). This week's Country Weekly (before they were stars on the cover) has a half page pic and story of "Luckenbach Texas" becoming #1 this week in history. March 30, 2007 My grandson, Carter Boyd was born. He's very healthy and cute. Looks like his sister, Abigail. His parents are my oldest daughter, Erin, and her husband, Dwayne. Here he is. "Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) has been awarded the RIAA's first Platinum country certification for a Mastertone, recognizing one million purchased ringtones. Feb. 2007 Country Weekly had an article about the 5th anniversary of Waylon's passing, and an article about Shooter. January 2007. Happy New Year! Tony Joe White's recent cd UNCOVERED has a cool duet with Waylon. It's one of the final songs Waylon ever wrote called "Shakin' the blues." Worth the price of the cd just for that song. The Nashville Rebel box set is great. The book is full of great pics, some I've never seen before. And the discs have 3 never released before in the U.S. songs, one with Cash. A name change to announce...my grandson coming in April will be Jackson Carter Boyd. We'll call him Carter. We had great holidays in VA. I hope you did too. December 2006. 2007 Waylon Calendars are ready.
If you took a pic that's on the calendar, and are not credited, I'm sorry. I often don't know who took a pic I find. Please let me know, if so, and I'll credit you.
The new dvd called Nashville Rebel (not the movie) has some great stuff on it. Some of it, rarely or never seen by Hossheads before. Waylon.com may have a few more belt buckles and dog tags left. They're instant collector's items. Got mine. I'll be getting the Nashville Rebel box set for Christmas, so I can't tell you much, but I'm sure it's great. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND WAIL ON!! October, 2006 Country Weekly recently had a large ad for the new Nashville Rebel box set. The next issue had a half page photo/review of the box set and "Waylon sings Ol Hank". Both got very good reviews. CMT's "40 greatest albums" was good. Waylon was the only artist on it 3 times. His should have been #'s 1, 2, and 3. Insted they were...#35; Dreaming my Dreams...#10;Honky Tonk Heroes...& #7; Wanted the Outlaws. Only Willie and Cash were on it twice. Willie's Redheaded Stranger was #1. Bob Seger's new cd, Face the Promise is the best new rock cd in a long time. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our friend Howard in Nevada is selling many of his waylon collectibles. see info at http://www.waylonfiles.com/collectibles/ and write him at
howardo5@yahoo.com . what he doesnt sell directly will go on ebay later. Waylon's song "Only daddy that'll walk the line" is in the movie TALLEDEGA NIGHTS, THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY". funny movie, too. Im gonna be a paw-paw again (3rd time) in April. Abigail is getting a brother or sister. :-) have a great rest of summer, mike July 2006 HOSSHEADS, thanx to Jeff for passing this on... A previously unreleased duet with Johnny Cash is among the special tracks to be found on the Waylon Jennings boxed set "Nashville Rebel," due Sept. 26th via RLG Nashville/Legacy. "The Greatest Cowboy of Them All" was recorded in 1978, the same year the late Jennings' duet with Willie Nelson, "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's country chart. Beyond such hits as "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way," "Good Hearted Woman," "I Ain't Living Long Like This," "Highwayman" and "Rose in Paradise," the four-disc collection includes two early period tracks that have never been released in the U.S.: "It's Sure Been Fun" and "People in Dallas Got Hair." "Nashville Rebel" was created in tandem with Jennings' widow Jessi Colter and their son Shooter Jennings. Liner notes were penned by Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye and country historian Rich Kienzle. --------------------------------- On the tv show, The world series of pop culture on VH1, they had a category of tv show theme lyrics. One question was about the Dukes theme. Have a great summer, Mike June 15, 2006. Waylon's 69th birthday. Good article and pics of Jessi in June 19 dated issue of Country Weekly. May 2006. A bit late, but wanted to mention that on the recent tv talent show Nashville Star, contestant Matt Mason sang "Lonesome, Onry, and Mean" while wearing a "What would Waylon do?" shirt. Tommy Jennings site is looking good. Check it out! April 19, 2006 Shooter was on David Letterman's show last night. Did a great job. Dave told who his parents are, and said "If my name was Shooter, everybody could kiss my ass." Paul Shaffer told how Shooter got his name. (that story of Shooter peeing on a nurse soon as he was born.) On Jay Leno's show recently, Rosie O'donnell mentioned "Dog, the bounty hunter" tv show, and said that she likes Dog's Waylon Jennings haircut. Thanx to David at waylon.com for this... Jessi was a SXSW (South by South West) which is a big, hip, new, music convention which is held in Austin every year. Her presence must have paid off as her album debuted in the Billboard charts at #61. And guess what, her son Shooter is at #63. Now, here is the really interesting part -- last week Shooter was at #64 and guess who was a re-entry into the charts at #62 ---- his Dad with "16 Biggest Hits". Now, why is it that I, a lowly webmaster, t-shirt selling, wanting to love country music idiot is the only one in the entire world that realizes if RCA did one small push (put a little effort) into selling Waylon's music that for the first time in THE HISTORY OF SHOW BUSINESS a mother, a father and a son of a gun named Shooter would be the very first FAMILY to chart on Billboard at the same time!Now, let me repeat that..... Jessi (the mom), Waylon (the dad) and Shooter (the son) all on the Billboard charts at the same time. WOW. If you are in Nashville waylon.com now has an official headquarters on 2nd Avenue right next to the Wildhorse Saloon in a store called "Outonawhim". Donna is the shopkeeper and HUUUUUGE Waylon fan. She is dedicating a large portion of her shop to Waylon, Jessi and hopefully Shooter soon. Stop in and see her if you are in Music City. And, go see Darla (who is kin to Waylon) at the Waymore Beer Store in Littlefield, Texas. She is the official Waylon Jennings headquarters in Waylon's hometown. March 25, 2006 It is with sorrow that I say this... Lorene Jennings, Waylon's mother has passed away. Please keep the Jennings family in your thoughts and prayers. Thanx to Brian for this... Waylon Lives on Through Shooter Country legend Jennings' rocker son readies album built around dad's lost vocals With his second album, Electric Rodeo, dropping April 4th, country rocker Shooter Jennings has already hatched plans for a surprisingly personal new project -- built around experimental tracks he recorded with his father, the legendary Waylon. "In 1996, me and my dad went into a studio and did a record together," he explains. "At the time I was all into, like, Nine Inch Nails, and I did all this electronic weird shit under his voice. A lot of weird songs -- covers and stuff. And we even did an original called 'Are You There?'" Drawn to the older material, Shooter went back and -- with the help of his producer Dave Cobb and backing band the 357's -- "reinvented a whole record around my dad's voice." "It was like connecting the dots, making this album," says Shooter, the only son of Nashville icons Jennings and Jessi Colter. "I'm so proud of it, it's unbelievable." The result, Waylon Jennings and the 357's, expected to see release this fall, showcases Jennings' vocals backed by the outlaw rock of his L.A.-based son's musicians. But Waylon Jennings fans should prepare themselves for something way more experimental than his classics. "It's pretty wild, man," says Shooter, who released his debut, Put the "O" Back in Country, just last year, and also paid tribute to his father by playing him in the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. "It sounds like Zeppelin mixed with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon mixed with Waylon. There's some songs that are country, but there are some songs that are just out there." As for Electric Rodeo, Shooter decided the album needed one final touch. At the last minute, he switched out a cover of the Hank Williams, Jr., tune "(The) Living Proof" for the brand-new original "It Ain't Easy". "The minute I wrote it, I knew it was a better way to tie up the whole record," he explains. "The sentiment -- it's about my dad." JOHN D. LUERSSEN OLDER NEWS
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