Waylon Arnold Jennings (pronounced /ˈweɪlən ˈdʒɛnɪŋz/; June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Jennings began playing guitar at 8 and began performing at 12 on KVOW radio. His first band was The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J. on KVOW, KDAV, KYTI, and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly arranged Jennings's first recording session, of "Jole Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)". Holly hired him to play bass. In Clear Lake, Iowa, Jennings gave up his seat on the ill-fated flight that crashed and killed Holly, J. P. Richardson, Ritchie Valens, and pilot Roger Peterson. The day of the flight was later known as The Day the Music Died. Jennings then worked as a D.J. in Coolidge, Arizona, and Phoenix. He formed a rockabilly club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent label Trend Records and A&M Records, before succeeding with RCA Victor after achieving creative control.
Honky Tonk Heroes is a country music album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1973 on RCA Victor. With the exception of "We Had It All", all of the songs on the album were written or co-written by Billy Joe Shaver. The album is considered an important piece in the development of the outlaw subgenre in country music as it helped revive the honky tonk music of Nashville by injecting a rock and roll attitude.
Jennings and manager Neil Reshen had renegotiated the singer's contract with RCA Records in 1972, which gave him creative control over his work. By 1973, Atlantic Records was attempting to sign Jennings who, with fellow country singer Willie Nelson, had become dissatisfied with RCA because of the company's conservative influence upon their music. Nelson, who had signed with Atlantic, was becoming more popular, and this persuaded RCA to renegotiate with Jennings before it lost another potential success. Jennings' music had already evolved from his early recordings with the label, especially on his previous three LPs Good Hearted Woman (1972), Ladies Love Outlaws (1972), and especially Lonesome, On'ry and Mean (1973). This evolution was spurred by the singer trying to capture the dynamics of his live sound on record (often by using his backing band the Waylors rather than studio musicians) and his choice of material, which often included songs composed by writers outside the Nashville mainstream.
Low down leaving sun
Done, did everything that needs done
Woe is me, why can't I see?
I'd best be leaving well enough alone
Them neon light nights, couldn't stay out of fights
Keep a-haunting me in memories
Well is one in every crowd for crying out loud
Why was it always turning out to be me?
Where does it go? The good Lord only knows
Seems like it was just the other day
I was down at Green Gables, hawking them tables
And generally blowing all my hard earned pay
Piano rolled blues, danced holes in my shoes
There weren't another other way to be
For lovable losers, no account boozers
And honky tonk heroes like me
Where does it go? The good Lord only knows
Seems like it was just the other day
I was down at Green Gables, hawking them tables
Generally blowing all my hard earned pay
Piano rolled blues, danced holes in my shoes
There weren't another other way to be
For lovable losers and no account boozers
And honky tonk heroes like me
Where does it go? The good Lord only knows
And seems like it was just the other day
I was down at Green Gables and hawking them tables
And generally blowing all my hard earned pay
Piano rolled blues, danced holes in my shoes
There weren't another other way to be
For them lovable losers and no account boozers