Fox News Digital reported that Townsend made music with Jennings during the 80s and 1990s. The music was never released.
The decades-old relationship between Tommy Townsend, Waylon Jennings and Waylon Jennings goes back to the beginning.
The country music singer Townsend shared details with Fox News Digital regarding his “new” and “old” album, which features Waylon Jennings, titled “Southern Man”, which was released last Friday.
Townsend, who was a country music musician since the age of five years old, recorded music with the late country star in 80s and 90s. The music was never released.
He explained that he signed a record contract with Audium Nashville in September. It was for three albums. It was mentioned in conversation. They asked me if I had anything. I replied, “Yeah, Jerry Bridges and Waylon Jennings made an album when I was younger and it never came out.”
Townsend said that his record label wanted it to be heard and they loved it once they did. He also shared that Chuck Rhodes, BFD/Audium Nashville General Manager, called it “one the most beautiful country records I have ever heard in 10 years.”
The label asked him if he would release the music. He said yes because he considered it to be a “really great record that has never been heard”.
Jennings was just 13 years old when Townsend met him for the first time.
Townsend said that he met Waylon “when he was about 13 years old.” “Hells Angels were providing security for him at the time, and my parents had spoken to one of them and learned that their son was a Waylon enthusiast.”
Townsend shared with us that Jennings’ security guard responded to Townsend by saying, “Well, Tommy, come down here after the show and I’ll take him by there because Waylon loves children.”
While Townsend and Jennings met as teenagers, they began to collaborate on music only after Townsend was in high school.
Townsend spoke of Jerry Bridges and said that Jerry had taken me in first. “Then Jerry, Waylon and I got involved. That’s how it all started.”
Townsend was just 19 when Waylon and Townsend began to work on the album. Over a period of 10 years, they continued to create new records. The album was never released.
Jennings, who was the pioneer of country music’s Outlaw movement, died in 2002 at age 64 due to diabetes-related complications.
Townsend recalls that working with Jennings was “so simple” because “he is so great to have around.”
He shared, “He would allow me to try my own things.” He used to encourage me in all I did. He was a wonderful man.”
Townsend laughed when he recalled his favorite memory of the late-country icon. He thought back to a time they performed together.
He said, “I was playing with him on one night and the guitarist tech told me, “I’ll change the strings of your guitar because Waylon won’t call you out until either the middle or the end of the night.” “So I replied, “Great!” Only four to five songs in, Waylon calls me out. The guitar tech had only three or four strings on his guitar.
Townsend stated, “So I walked out to Waylon and said, ‘I got the right to use your guitar.'” Waylon was “pretty tall,” so Townsend had to bend down to hear him on stage.
Townsend was amused by Jennings’ joke that “Well, this friendship s— just goes way too far.” “Then, he took out his guitar and put it on me. He said, ‘Have Fun.’
