Country boy

Q.� Why is country star Waylon Jennings known as 'the outlaw' < xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

A.� Country legend Waylon Jennings, who died last week from complications caused by diabetes, was one of the first country artists to eschew the Nashville 'system' of studios and session players, and strike out on his own, with a few like-minded individuals.

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Q.� Where did the 'outlaw' tag come from

A.� It's partly in reference to the music created by Jennings, and fellow outlaws Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, which was far more roots-based, with stripped-down instrumentation and basic country subject matter, as opposed to the increasingly lush orchestrated music being produced by the legions of session players working in the major recording studios in Nashville. The basic sound was accompanied by a fairly rough-and-ready appearance, scuffed boots and frayed jeans as against the rhinestone and glitter, which gradually earned the musicians involved the term 'outlaw' which they were delighted to accept, along with a reputation for uncompromising song writing and lifestyles to match.

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Q.� So was Waylon Jennings always a rebel

A.� Waylon took advice from his first mentor, and fellow Texan Buddy Holly. In his early years, Jennings worked as a radio DJ, and struck a firm and lasting friendship with Holly when the latter appeared on the station at which Jennings worked. Buddy Holly taught Waylon to play the guitar, and told him that music was important, and it should have no barriers, an ethos that Jennings adhered to throughout his life and career, even though both were almost cut short, but for a quirk of fate.

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Q.� What happened

A.� Jennings was working in Holly's touring band as a temporary bass player, and was booked to fly with Holly and Ritchie Valens to their next concert venue. Fellow tour member JP Richardson, known as 'The Big Bopper' was unwell, and persuaded Jennings to give up is seat on the small plane, and travel with the band by bus. Jennings agreed, and thus escaped the plane crash that took the lives of his great friend, and the other two musicians.

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Jennings was devastated by Holly's death, and it was two years before he began working again as a musician. In 1963, he moved to Los Angeles, and signed to Herb Alpert's A&M label, resisting Alpert's keenness to change him into a pop star. Jennings stuck to his country style, and his album flopped.�

Q.� It could have been all over then

A.� It could, but Jennings was not going to let such a setback stand in his way. In 1965, he signed to RCA, moved to Nashville, and struck a lifelong friendship with the legendary Johnny Cash. Jennings and Cash recorded, along with Nelson and Kristofferson, as The Highwaymen, a group of likeminded country singers who believed that the music should shine brighter than the rhinestones on their shirts, and they were rewarded with a solid fan base because of their uncompromising style. The group formation coincided with Jennings' final departure from serious cocaine addiction, and it remained successful until the mid 1980's, when the appeal of the 'outlaw' style and sound began to wane during the swing back to more traditional country sounds and stars.

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Q.� Did Jennings retire

A.� Not completely, although his absence from the charts contributed to a certain slowing down of his career as a recording artists, although he remained a strong concert draw.

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Q.� Can Waylon Jennings be called a superstar

A.� In America certainly�- sixty-plus albums and 16 Number One country singles is a testament to his enduring appeal. In the UK, although known within country circles, Jennings' most abiding legacy is the theme tune to the Dukes Of Hazard TV series, Good Ol' Boys which can be sung by anyone who watched television in the 1970's.

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Q.� What happened in the end

A.� Waylon Jennings had suffered from increasing health complications arising from diabetes, which had resulted in the amputation of one of his feet in December last year. Jennings died at home on February 13. He leaves being his fourth wife, country artist Jessi Coulter, and their son Shooter, as well as a wealth of fine country music, and an example of what can be achieved by talent, determination, and even fate.

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Andy Hughes

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