Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight to Feature Waylon Jennings

This week the spotlight shines on country music outlaw, Waylon Jennings at 11 am on the Sunday Morning Country Classic Spotlight. You can find us at 98.1 FM Minnesota’s New Country, online and on your mobile device.

Waylon Jennings did it all, singer, songwriter, musician, actor and even radio DJ.

Jennings started to work as a DJ in 1956, he worked at several stations in Texas and Arizona. Waylon and Buddy Holly were friends, Waylon played bass on the Winter Dance Party tour. He gave up his seat to J.P. Richardson on a plane Holly chartered after their performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. As we all know, that plane crashed shortly after 1:00 am on February 3, 1959 in a cornfield outside Mason City, Iowa killing all on board. In the

In the mid 1980s, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon formed a successful group called “The Highwaymen." Jennings was married four times and had six children. He married for the fourth time and final time in Phoenix, Arizona on October 26, 1979. Jessi Colter and Jennings had one son, Waylon Albright “Shooter” Jennings born May 19, 1979. Shooter recently performed at Rollie’s Rednecks and Longnecks in Sauk Rapids. Colter had one daughter, Jennifer from a previous marriage to Duane Eddy.

Jennings' health had been deteriorating for years before his death. After kicking his cocaine addiction and smoking six packs of cigarettes a day, he underwent triple heart bypass surgery in 1988. As the years went on, his diabetes worsened.

On February 13, 2002 Jennings died in his sleep. He was buried in the Mesa City cemetery, Messa, Arizona.