Often considered one of the pioneers of outlaw music, Waylon Jennings carved his name in country music with songs like “I’ve Always Been Crazy” and “Luckenbach, Texas.” Sadly, the end of Waylon’s life came with a great deal of health problems. After struggling with diabetes for years, Waylon passed away in February 2002. While leaving behind a legacy, the member of the Country Music Hall of Fame continued to entertain thanks to his son, Shooter Jennings. Releasing a new album featuring recordings from his father, Waylon once again found his way to the country charts.
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On October 3rd, Shooter celebrated the release of his father’s newest album, Songbird. Unlike other albums that only featured the singer’s top songs, Songbird offered a glimpse into forgotten archival recordings. Just the beginning, Shooter will release two more albums after Songbird that contain more music from Waylon.
But for now, Shooter had reason to celebrate the years worth of work as Songbird clinched the No. 6 spot on Top Albums Sales. That was just the start:
No. 6 Top Current Album Sales
No. 7 Indie Store Album Sales
No. 8 Americana/Folk Albums
No. 9 Vinyl Albums
No. 17 on Top Country Albums
No. 18 on Independent Albums
No. 116 on Billboard 200
[RELATED: The Artist Waylon Jennings Hated and Said “Got More out of Nothing” Than Anybody He Knew]
Waylon Jennings Still Brought The Passion And Soul With ‘Songbird’
With the album including 10 songs, fans loved how Songbird offered them a trip down memory lane. Looking at the song “I’d Like To Love You Baby”, fans wrote, “Friendly reminder Waylon Is Still the King.” One comment added, “In the 70s I used to stand up in my dad’s green Chevy truck and listen to Waylon 8 tracks. Great times.”
Although thrilled over the success of Songbird, Shooter cared more about the extra time it gave him with his father. “This project has given me an entirely new chapter in my relationship with my father and working on this music has brought a whole new understanding about how, when and why my dad made music.”
Featuring that signature Waylon voice, Shooter promised, “The hard work is there on the tapes and the passion and the soul within is as alive today as it was the day it was recorded.”
(Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
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