Farewell, Waylon

By Rob Greenwell

I am writing this to talk alittle bit about Waylon Jennings, who we lost on February 13. I emphasize the word "we," because everybody lost the rebel cowboy. Waylon touched so many lives that you could write many books about the lives he has influenced. Jennings was an icon in every sense, a pioneer in a business that at the time was not a popular genre of music, with nowhere near the popularity it has currently. However, Waylon brought many people who wouldn't ordinarily listen to country music to country music. Also, we wouldn't have some of the top names in our business that we are so fortunate to have today were it not for him. To talk about the man's musical biography would take up this whole paper, and then some.

Now to tell you that Jennings was a saint would be to flat-out lie to you. This man lived the hard life and partied with the best of the very best. Waylon was the kind of man who drank every drink and ingested every drug he could get his hands on. I remember watching a program on the life and times of this icon and thinking to myself, how could Jessi (Colter, his wife) ever stay with this womanizing, alcoholic, drug addict of a husband? This guy let the devil share a bunk in his bus and let Murphy move into his house. I guess love prevailed, though, because he changed his ways before he died. I guess when Bocephus wrote, "and Waylon's staying home and lovin' Jessi more these days" was the truth. In the end, Waylon learned what it was that he was supposed to be: a loving husband and a loving father.

The only reason I can think of why God took him from us was simple: with Waylon and Hank Sr., He now has a couple of "Good Ole Boys" to show everybody how to party up there.

God bless you, Waylon Jennings, "we" are going to miss you, brother!