Waylon Jennings is the MAN (vid)
 

Waylon Jennings RULES!

Waylon performing Luckenbach Texas live

Thanks for that link! I'm not much into "country music", but Waylon (& Willie and a couple others) are OK in my book :)! I didn't care much for that particular arrangement (I'm just used to the one I've heard for years), but Waylon (and his "eff'em attitude") sure bring back memories. I've never seen his son (Shooter Jennings) either, but I hear he's a "chip off the old block"...maybe I'll check him out the next time he's in my area.

However, "He'll be the first to tell you, Bob Wills is still the king!"

Waylon...a very lucky man when he lost a coin toss...

I'm not familiar with that one...care to share?

Uh, can you say "Big Bopper"? Waylon gave up his seat.

Waylon is being "re-re-discovered"...It's sort of like going to a Robert Earl Keen show and being surrounded by drunken frat boys.

I think he's referring to losing a coin toss to be on the plane when he played for Buddy Holly. Of course, the plane went down w/ BH, Big Bopper and Richie Valens. Whoa, rouxroux beat me to it.

He was originally in the Crickets with Buddy Holly. Gave his ticket on the plane to someone else.

Clear Lake, Iowa, February 1957...Buddy Holly plane crash. Aboard "american pie" (plane name) was the pilot, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, aka "the big bopper". Waylon wanted to fly, avoiding a long bus ride. Big Bopper had a cold, begged to take his seat. Waylon tossed a coin with Richardson for the seat...and lost. Therefore winning...on that "day the music died". (edit) Whoops...others beat me to it...

(edit) My goof...2 years off on the crash date. It was 1959. I was going from a fading memory...

Should have never boarded that Bonanza with a pilot not IFR rated (did not understand the attitude gyro, if I remember correctly). Waylon gave up his seat because the Big Bopper was sick and did not want to ride in the bus because he found the seats were uncomfortable.

Thanks for the post. It's nice to hear Waylon performing with a full band. Most bands are scaled back for tours to reduce overhead and most people don't mind. A band is not complete without a fiddle and steel guitar.

"but in Texas the talk turned to outlaws, like Willie and Waylon and me"

David Allen Coe

they rule along with Cash--honorable mention to Marty Robbins and George Jones

Here's another great video doing Billy Joe Shaver's "Honky Tonk Heroes".



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Sorry, 'bout the disconnect. I knew Waylon gave up his seat, but didn't realize it was a coin toss.

Paul,
Speaking of this I seem to remember a LONG time ago (maybe in Life magzine?) there was a "translation" of Don McLean's lyrics to American Pie. Some of it is obvious and some a little less well known, about Altamont and the Stones, etc. Do you know/can you post the translated lyrics or meaning of the lyrics to the song? After all this time I'd love to read them again.

I just dont get it. Maybe because I never drove a tractor or didnt grow up on a farm. Sorry..

All this talk made me want to go re-read the lyrics as well. Here's a nifty site with the lyrics and someone's take on the interpretation:

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/crash.htm

Real country music like that is being done a great dis-service by modern "country" with its mindless and cliche' lyrics and pseudo pop stars. I hate country, but I will listen to Waylon and Marty Robbins and folks like that all day long.

Better not leave Hank Williams from that list...

RE the plane accident: Buddy jokingly said to Waylon, something along the lines of "I hope your damn bus breaks down!", to which Waylon replied "I hope your damn plane crashes!" The plane did indeed crash...

I agree, 100%, about pop-country today. I still listen to it, but that besides the point. "Real" country got lost somewheres along the line.

I'll go out on a limb and say that country music has sported some of the best voices in music...Randy Travis, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings....I was watching a Randy Travis concert once and my mom heard it from upstairs; she's a huge RT fan and had to come down and watch. She listens for a minute or two and says, "Lordy that man can sing me to sleep any day!" I almost died laughing.

Flash, how about that lap-steel! Man that was awesome!! I love a good lap-steel, it's a neat instrument. IIRC, Alan Jackson has a lap-steel player on tour with him (or at least I know he did for awhile).