Tommy Jennings Releases a Family Tribute to his Brother Waylon

New album by Waylon Jenning's brother and longtime bass player tells Waylon’s story as he became the legendary “outlaw” and includes previously unreleased recordings with Waylon on lead guitar.

(PRWEB) August 10, 2005

Since Waylon Jennings’ death in 2002, there have been numerous albums made in tribute to the legendary performer, including three featuring some of music’s best known performing artists. Tommy Jennings’ new album, Hey Waylon, is the first to not only tell his brother’s story, in words and music, but also to feature Waylon on five of the album’s 11 cuts.

Waylon fans will appreciate hearing the original Outlaw’s unmistakable lead guitar on these previously unreleased recordings, as well as the extensive liner notes and family photographs. Waylon sings on two of the cuts, while Tommy delivers renditions of some of his brother’s best known and loved songs in his own, true Jennings’ style.

The album’s opens with the haunting “Eagle’s Last Flight,” the title track that Tommy began composing after attending Waylon’s Memorial at the Ryman Auditorium in March, 2002. Just two years younger than Waylon, Tommy could not help recalling memories of their lives together, growing up in West Texas, making their mark in music in Arizona, and finally moving to Nashville. It took Tommy 18 months and what he calls “some late night inspiration from Waylon himself” to finish the song, but in a matter of minutes, Tommy takes the listener on a very personal journey from the days when he and Waylon were kids to a deeply moving farewell to Waylon in native Cherokee, in recognition of their honored heritage.

“Eagle’s Last Flight” along with three other songs that were integral to Waylon’s musical growth, were produced by Steve Tolson in Nashville, in October, 2004. The classic country ballad “The Girl in the Blue Velvet Band” was the first song that Waylon and Tommy learned as young boys, while the Texas Bop tune “When Sin Stops” was hand picked by Buddy Holly for Waylon’s first recording session. The 2004 recordings are topped off by Tommy’s true life composition, “Me and Them Three Brothers of Mine,” which Waylon included on his last album for RCA in honor of his brothers Tommy, James D and Bo.

The name of the album, “Hey Waylon,” comes from a song that Tommy originally cut in 1982 entitled “Don’t You Think It’s Time.” “When Waylon heard it, he just flipped out and joined me on high harmony,” says Tommy. Even though it had been ten years since the two brothers had recorded together, the blending of their voices ideally underscores this story song about years on the road and a shared desire for what’s most important to them both.

Waylon sings the final verse on another of Tommy’s compositions, “He Did the Best He Could (With What He Had at the Time),” which recounts their early days in Nashville, when the band, faced with too little acceptance and even less money, had decided to go back to Arizona. When Waylon said he would leave, too, the boys “talked it over” and decided to stick it out. “I remember joking with Waylon, saying, if we were going to stay, we were going to have to change the music industry just to keep a job,” Tommy explains.

The balance of the songs on the album were recorded in 1986 and feature Tommy backed by Waylon’s original band, the Waylors, on his first single on RCA, “That’s the Chance I’ll Have to Take,” and his first number one single, “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line.” Waylon joins Tommy and the Waylors, playing lead guitar on “Dreaming My Dreams,” ‘You Asked Me To,” and “Rainy Day Woman.”

Hey Waylon! Eagle’s Last Flight: A Family Tribute to Waylon Jennings is available for purchase at http://www.cdbaby.com or by calling 1-800-buymycd.

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