Born in Nashville on This Day in 1979, the Only Child of Two Outlaw Icons Who Portrayed His Own Father in a Johnny Cash Biopic

On this day, May 19, 1979, Shooter Jennings was born. Jennings is the only child of outlaw country stars Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, and he walked in his parents’ footsteps into a music career of his own. Let’s celebrate his birthday by looking back at where his career has taken him, shall we?

The Life and Career of Shooter Jennings

Waylon Albright “Shooter” Jennings was born on May 19, 1979, the only child of outlaw country parents Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, in Nashville, Tennessee. There are differing accounts on how he received his nickname “Shooter.” His mother said that her and Waylon Jennings’ love of cowboy culture inspired the name. Waylon Jennings, on the other hand, said that he gave Jennings the name “Shooter” after he urinated on the nursing staff shortly after his birth.

“I love my mom,” Shooter Jennings said back in 2005. “But I like Dad’s version better. And I believe it’s true. He didn’t make [stuff] like that up.”

Jennings famously portrayed his own father, Waylon Jennings, in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. He also performed a song for the movie’s soundtrack, a cover of “I’m A Long Way From Home” by Hank Cochran that his father famously performed on his album Nashville Rebel in 1966.

A Triple Threat: Actor, Musician, and Producer

Jennings is more than an actor and the child of a famous couple. In fact, his filmography is fairly limited. Jennings, like his parents, is better known for his work in music. His music career has spanned decades, and Jennings is known for quite a few different genres, from country rock to southern rock to outlaw country like his parents.

Jennings’ debut single was “4th Of July”, released in 2005. The song was a No. 22 hit on the country charts in the US. Throughout his career, Jennings has released 11 studio albums up to 2022. He recorded only one album with his father, Fenixon, in 1996, before the senior Jennings passed away in 2002. Despite being unable to find a distributor for the album at the time, the album is available online.

Jennings has had a hand in producing dozens of albums for the likes of his father (posthumously), Tanya Tucker, Yelawolf, Charley Crockett, and many more. Jennings has mixing credits on albums for Duff McKagan, Brandi Carlile, and Hellbound Glory. He has also released a number of collaborative EPs and singles with Jamey Johnson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lukas Nelson, and others.

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