On This Day in 1978, Waylon Jennings Was at No. 1 with an Introspective Outlaw Classic

On this day (September 17) in 1978, Waylon Jennings was in the middle of a three-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “I’ve Always Been Crazy.” It was the last in a string of four consecutive chart-topping singles and gave listeners a look at how Jennings felt about life at the time.

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I’ve Always Been Crazy came at an interesting time in Jennings’ life and career. On one hand, he was on top of the world. Outlaw music was becoming a dominant force in the country music world, and he was reaping the rewards. The song’s title track brought him a three-week No. 1. It was his second multi-week chart-topper of the year and fourth in a row. Later in the year, the album would begin an eight-week run at No. 1. It was his fourth consecutive No. 1 album.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1977, Waylon Jennings Proved the Power of Outlaw Country With a Massive Run Atop the Country Albums Chart[

On the other hand, Jennings’ personal life was suffering. His substance abuse issues were growing. Before recording the album, he was the target of a federal drug bust. DEA agents tracked a package of drugs from New York to American Sound Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. They entered the studio looking to arrest him on a long list of charges. Fortunately, though, drummer Richie Albright was able to flush the contents before the agents found it. This resulted in the song “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand” and countless headlines about the bust.

Waylon Jennings Reflects on the Origins of the “Outlaw” Title

Waylon Jennings discussed the origins of the “Outlaw” moniker during a 1996 interview with NPR.

“I had an album out on RCA, and it was called Ladies Love Outlaws, which was after a song,” he said. “They kind of picked it up from there. Then, when in search of something, they called me everything for a long time. They called me outlaw, they called me rebel. They didn’t know quite what pocket to put me in,” he explained.

“That’s where it had started, originally. Then, when they put out the album with me and Tompall, Jessi, and Willie, they used it there, and it kind of caught on,” he added. The album was Wanted! The Outlaws (1976). It was the first country album to receive Platinum certification from the RIAA.

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