Waylon Jennings Tribute Concert Set For July 6 in Austin, Texas

Waylon Jennings’ life and music will be celebrated on a very special night.

Rolling Stone is reporting that a number of country music’s greatest names will converge on Austin’s Moody Theater for a one-night tribute to one of music’s original “bad men.”

The concert, currently titled Outlaw: Celebrating the Music of Waylon Jennings will also bring the remaining two members of the country supergroup The Highwaymen, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. Other notable country music stars that are scheduled to attend and perform are Toby Keith, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, Ryan Bingham, Sturgill Simpson, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Stapleton, and Billy Joe Shaver. Waylon Jennings’ widow, Jessi Colter, and Waylon Jennings’ son, Shooter, will also perform.

“Waylon Jennings was my friend, brother and musical soul mate,” says Nelson. “Playing his songs with these incredible artists is going to be one hell of a concert event.” Nelson has another reason to celebrate. The album he and Merle Haggard collaborated on, Django and Jimmie, just hit number one on the Billboard country music charts.

Legendary music producers Buddy Cannon and Don Was will serve as musical directors for the concert, which will be recorded for future release.

According to The Boot, the list of performers is not complete, as more artists will be added to the bill before it’s all over.

This is also a labor of love for son Shooter, who wants to share his father’s love of all kinds of music with the world.

“I was very close to my dad; we had a great relationship,” Shooter Jennings says. “There is a very large contingent of Waylon fans out there. I’ve heard from them all my life. Some of them have an image of him as sort of like Hank Williams, Jr., though, and he really wasn’t like that. He liked hunting, movies and different kinds of music… He really liked Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Metallica, all different kinds of music I was into. He loved hearing the music that inspired me.”

Shooter and Waylon Jennings recorded one album, though it was posthumous for Waylon. In 2008, Shooter had finished recording with his former band, the 357s, when he finished the album Waylon Forever. Shooter and Waylon recorded music that mutually inspired both artists. It was the last material that Waylon Jennings ever recorded.

Waylon Jennings died in 2002 due to complications from diabetes. There will be an after-party with proceeds going to the United Way to assist Central Texas victims of the recent flooding.

[Image courtesy of Fanpop]