Waylon Jennings - Luckenback, Texas

Birthday's Today : Waylon Arnold Jennings June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Jennings began playing guitar at eight and began performing at 12 on KVOW radio. His first band was The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a DJ on KVOW, KDAV, KYTI, and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly arranged Jennings's first recording session, of "Jole Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)". Holly hired him to play bass. In Clear Lake, Iowa, Jennings gave up his seat on the ill-fated flight that crashed and killed Holly, J. P. Richardson, Ritchie Valens, and pilot Roger Peterson. The day of the flight was later known as the Day the Music Died. Jennings sang The Stage, which is a touching tribute to the Day the Music Died. He recreates the concert performers on February 2, 1959, in order at the Surf Ballroom, starting with Eddie Cochran, then Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper and, finally, Buddy Holly. This was the concert that preceded the infamous plane crash. The Stage can be found on the Surf Ballroom Winter Dance Party CD. http://www.biography.com/people/waylon-jennings-9354063