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: apple.com/search/?q=Waylons%20At%20The%20Gate§ion=ipoditunes&geo=us. To view it on YouTube go to: youtu.be/0lV9ucnQNVs
Radio stations wishing more information or to play the song should contact Wes Wammer at
bradpaisley.comHarrisburg station WMHX-FM launched its new Z Country 106.7 this afternoon with singer Brad Paisley’s song, “This is Country Music.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) – Country music great Merle Haggard has been admitted to a Georgia hospital suffering from pneumonia and postponed the rest of his concert dates in January, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Haggard, 74, entered the Macon hospital on Tuesday night after he canceled a show in that Georgia city seven minutes before he was to take the stage because he was too ill to perform, said Frank Mull, his tour manager and close friend. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Haggard is best known for songs including “Mama Tried,” “Okie from Muskogee” and “The Fightin’ Side of Me.” Haggard had been scheduled to perform again on Wednesday night in Columbus, Georgia, but that show and the rest of the January slate will be rescheduled for April, according to Haggard’s Los Angeles-based publicist Tresa Redburn. Redburn said the singer was receiving fluids intravenously. She said she spoke with Haggard by telephone “and he sounded pretty good.” Haggard will take time off to recover and resume his tour in February, Redburn said. Haggard lives in Northern California. The singer was unwell when he left his California home to begin the tour, but did not want to disappoint his fans, Mull said. “He thought he was well enough to work and he did work three dates, and he got progressively worse,” Mull said. With influences ranging from Lefty Frizzell to Bob Wills to Jimmie Rodgers, Haggard is an architect of country music’s “Bakersfield Sound.” (Editing by Paul Thomasch and Will Dunham)