In June 1998, Waylon Jennings released what would become his last studio album with Closing In on the Fire. Featuring several collaborations with stars like Sheryl Crow, Sting, and Mick Jagger, the country icon passed away in February 2002 at 64 years old. Since his death, two more albums, Waylon Forever and Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings, celebrate the singer’s career. But although claiming to be the “last recordings”, it appeared his son, Shooter Jennings, discovered some unreleased songs from his father.
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With Jennings passing away over two decades ago, the country singer continued to entertain fans. And thankfully, Shooter has worked hard to keep his father’s legacy ongoing. Sharing a post on Instagram, Shooter explained how he found more than a few unreleased recordings in his father’s house. Turning those recordings into albums, he revealed, ““’Songbird’ is the beginning of Waylon’s return to the modern world. This is the first of three gifts from me to you: the fans that have kept my father’s voice, songs, and legacy alive all these years.”
Waylon Jennings Hitting The Airwaves Once Again In October
Promising a total of three albums, Shooter announced Songbird would hit shelves on October 3rd. But again, that was just the start. He added, “The next few years are going to be full of some of the most exciting musical moments that the world never knew they were going to hear. I hope that these records bring the kind of joy to you that they have brought me.”
Outside of sharing the song with country music fans, Shooter considered himself lucky to have found the recordings in what he called the storage room. “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. 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.”
Already releasing the song “Songbird”, the music video featured throwback footage of Jennings and the work that went into bringing the recordings to life. As for “Songbird”, the song was written by Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie. Fans loved every second, with one person promising, “I typically don’t cry when celebrities pass away. Waylon was the exception. Hearing his voice on a ‘new’ song is such a treat.”
(photo by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images)
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