Waylon Jennings singing "Green River" from the movie 'Nashville Rebel' (1966) Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 - Feb. 13, 2002) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing guitar at eight and began performing at twelve on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a DJ on KVOW, KDAV, KYTI and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly arranged Jennings' first recording session, of "Jolie Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)". Holly hired Jennings to play bass. Jennings unintentionally missed flying with Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens on the flight which they died. Before takeoff, Holly, in jest, told Jennings "I hope your ol' bus freezes up", to which Jennings, also in jest, responded with "I hope your ol' plane crashes". These words would haunt Jennings his entire life. He worked as a DJ in Coolidge, Arizona and Phoenix. He formed a rockabilly club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent lab! el Trend Records, A&M Records before succeeding with RCA Records after achieving creative control of his records. During the 1970s, Jennings joined the Outlaw movement. He released critically acclaimed albums Lonesome, On'ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes, followed by hit albums Dreaming My Dreams and Are You Ready for the Country. In 1976 he released the album Wanted! The Outlaws with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessie Colter, the first platinum country music album. That album's success was
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