Known for his gritty baritone, Waylon Jennings embodied the outlaw side of country music. He was 64 when he died of complications from diabetes, leaving behind a collection of vocal tracks that remained unfinished until now.
“It was almost shocking when I first heard it,” says the singer Jessi Colter, who was married to Jennings for more than 30 years. “It took me several times to be able to listen to it. It sounded like he was there, that he’s opening his heart to you, and he’s telling you how he feels.”
Colter gave her blessing to her husband’s longtime producer and friend Robby Turner to add instruments and finish the songs. The result is Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings. The album sounds like classic Jennings, with a voice that’s sometimes a little rough, a little ragged, but never false. Jennings had a lot of physical troubles at the time.
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