What Is Waylon Jennings Quintessential Outlaw Movement

Waylon Jennings was born on June 15th, 1937, in Littlefield, Texas. His mother was a member of the Church of Christ, and his father worked a series of low-paying jobs, such as truck driving and cotton farming (Malone and Neal 399). Jennings himself started working in the cotton fields when he was still young (Ratiner 92). His family had little extra money while he was growing up; he was truly the “authentic son of the Southern working class” (Malone and Neal 398). For a young Jennings, music became an escape from his monotonous life in this small Texas town. He was exposed to country music in various ways: he heard his father play guitar and sing country music, he heard country music shows on the radio such as the Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana

The Outlaw Movement was not based on a certain style of music, but rather on artists’ freedom from the restrictions of industry executives and producers (Cooper 243). Interestingly, the movement was largely a product of promotional hype and strategic marketing (Ratiner 93). Jennings sought artistic independence in a number of ways. Firstly, in 1972, he hired New York City-based manager Neil Reshen in order to gain more control over the content of his albums (Ratiner 93). Additionally, he insisted on recording with his own band, The Waylors, instead of Nashville session musicians (Biracree 142). These acts helped him break free from the limitations set by the Nashville music industry norms, undeniably classifying him as an “Outlaw.” Other factors that helped him acquire this label were his rowdy lifestyle and maverick personality. Firstly, he transformed from a “well-groomed” image to the “long-haired, leather clad rocker” image for which he is now known (Ratiner 93). Furthermore, he was a frequent (and heavy) user of drugs and alcohol, which gave him an “aura of lawlessness” (Malone and Neal 400). He found that his nonconformist behaviors and uninhibited lifestyle appealed to diverse audiences, so he leaned into the “Outlaw” label. For Jennings, Outlaw was not just his nickname, but his lifestyle (Hilton