The Top 20 Country Hit That Revealed a Younger Artist’s Sweet Japanese Nickname for Waylon Jennings

The best kinds of nicknames are the ones that only make sense to the nicknamer and the nicknamee. For example, my father-in-law calls my husband Bean Can because he sliced his finger open on a chickpea can. He calls me 30 Pack because I brought a case of Miller Lite to the house one time, and it tickled him pink.

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My father-in-law’s thick Southern drawl just makes these goofy but well-intentioned monikers all the more charming and cozy. And I’d have to assume that this is how it felt for Waylon Jennings to hear Hank Williams Jr., the son of one of Jennings’ musical idols, call him a nickname that only made sense if you knew their friendship.

Or Japanese. That would help, too.

From a Country Music Prince to a Scrappy Younger Brother

Waylon Jennings scored his third No. 1 hit with “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way”, a boot-stomping groove comparing modern country music to the kind of country Hank Williams was playing before his tragically premature death at 29 years old. And while this inevitably connected Jennings’ career to Williams, he never actually worked with the pioneering musician. Jennings did, however, work closely with Williams’ son, Hank Williams Jr., as he followed his own career path.

In Jennings’ eponymous autobiography, the singer-songwriter recalled going on the road with Hank Jr. as one of many opening acts (other notable openers included Merle Haggard and Merle Kilgore, proving that it pays to be the child of country music royalty when you’re starting out a solo career). “Hank Jr. has always been to me like my little brother. Even then, I felt responsible to him in some way,” Jennings wrote. “When I first met him, Audrey [Williams, his mother] would not let him out of her sight. He was about eighteen.”

Given her husband’s sudden death, it’s no surprise that Audrey felt more protective of Hank Jr. “She didn’t trust him with anybody but me,” Jennings wrote. “She let him ride on my bus.”

Hank Williams Jr. Dubbed Waylon Jennings “Watasha”

Although Audrey Williams’ concerns weren’t entirely unfounded—she told Waylon Jennings she didn’t want Hank Williams Jr. getting mixed up with women, meanwhile, Jennings was sending women to Hank Jr.’s hotel room—the relationship between Jennings and Hank Jr. proved to be a beneficial one for both artists. Jennings served as a mentor and an older brother to Hank Jr., while the role of older brother helped Jennings keep his personal and musical priorities straight.

The two musicians came together for a duet called “The Conversation” in the late 1970s. The song came out on Hank Jr.’s album Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound first, and then Jennings released it on Waylon And Company. In either version, Hank Jr. calls Jennings “Watasha,” and Jennings calls Hank Jr. “Bocephus.” The latter nickname came from Hank’s father, who named his son after a ventriloquist dummy used in a regularly occurring Grand Ole Opry comedy act.

Hank Jr.’s nickname for Jennings, on the other hand, was based on the Japanese word watasha, which Jennings defined as “old number one” in his autobiography. The nickname is a touching term of endearment, highlighting the special bond that the two musicians shared—and not just because of Hank’s famous father. “He’s his own man, and I think I helped him come to terms with that,” Jennings wrote.

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