By: Staff
The legendary Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Waylon Jennings, known to many as the “outlaw” and part of the Highwaymen lived a life full of challenges, mischief and great country music. To his friends and family he was the boy from Littlefield, Texas who knew how to pick a guitar and make great Texas style music. To his millions of fans he was a genius and a star. To his fellow musicians he was the outlaw who knew how to take his high spirit into the studio to make country music hit after hit while producing a legendary legacy which he later left behind.
Jennings was born in 1937 in the hardscrabble West Texas town of Littlefield. He died in 2002 from complications of diabetes. His hard way of living was his choice and his unconventional way of making music was his success. He hung with the best of them…from Buddy Holly to Kris Kristofferson, he was a man’s man and a ladies fella. Songs like “Good Hearted Woman,” “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” and “Are You Ready for the Country” are only a few of his blockbuster hits. He joined Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash when they formed the Highwaymen and went on to appear in several television shows including the incredibly popular Dukes of Hazzard.
Waylon Jenning’s life was part of his musical storytelling. It was no secret he struggled with addicitions but later in his life those demons resulted in health problems which eventually took his life. Nonetheless Jennings remains a country outlaw hero to millions of fans around the world who still celebrate his life and musical legacy.
The original song is titled “Waylon’s at the Gate” and was written by Troy Seals and Buck Moore and performed by Wes Wammer in honor of Waylon. The song is being released on Monday, February 13th via iTunes for a limited period of time and can be downloaded by fans of Waylon Jennings around the world.
Wes’s well-known admiration for Waylon led engineer Brooks Watson to convince Wes to record “Waylons At The Gate” at Clementvision, much to the delight of ‘Cowboy’ Jack Clement. The opportunity to record this song at the legendary Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa seemed fitting. Immediately after that session a fire completely destroyed the studio and miraculously the only thing found in the ashes was the hard drive containing “Waylon’s At The Gate”.
The rough edged vocals and eclectic repertoire of the group eerily reminds fans of Waylon Jennings own vocals and rockabilly style. As if Waylon is waiting at the gate to lend a few riffs or good ol’ boys to the group, the single “Waylons at the Gate” represents the memory, the contributions and the legacy of the great county music legend Waylon Jennings.
Fans can download by searching for either the song title, “Waylons At The Gate”, or Wes Wammer at media like iTunes, Amazon etc. worldwide.
To download at iTunes go to: http://www.apple.com/search/?q=Waylons%20At%20The%20Gate§ion=ipoditunes&geo=us. To view it on YouTube go to: http://youtu.be/0lV9ucnQNVs
Radio stations wishing more information or to play the song should contact Wes Wammer at weswammer@yahoo.com