Waylon: An Autobiography [Paperback]

Outlaw, renegade, legend, Waylon Jennings blazed a stellar career from honky-tonk roots through the rock 'n' roll fifties and four decades of country music. InWaylonhe tells the story of a man who made music that fired up millions.

Born dirt-poor, Waylon Jennings took all the grit of his hometown of Littlefield, Texas, into his sound. He shared living quarters with Johnny Cash, took songwriting tips from Roger Miller and encouragement from Willie Nelson, and hung out after hours with Kris Kristofferson and George Jones. His 1976 anthology album,Wanted: The Outlaws,was a stunning platinum success.

            But while the performer rewrote the rules of the nation's popular music, the star binged on an endless stream of cocaine and pills and staggered through three failed marriages. He kept the country fires raging until the end, joining Willie Nelson, Cash, and Kristofferson on their sold-out international tours as the Highwaymen.

           Waylonis Jennings's no-holds-barred, tell-it-all story, overflowing with the honesty, humor, and down-home charisma of a honky-tonk hero.

As good a book about American popular music as one is likely to find.   —Washington Post