“STORIES IN SONG” SERIES 2019 – “WITHOUT YOU” – By Des Kelly

A perfect “Country” love story, if ever there was one.

He was Waylon Jennings, an “Outlaw” Country Star, famous for his rebel attitude, his drinking & “drugs” habits, yet his human compassion for his many friends in the business, his undoubted “luck” when he gave up his seat on a plane trip, to escape certain death when the plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. (the Big Bopper. Waylon was then the bass guitar player in the famous Buddy Holly Band, “The Crickets”. The drastic incident happened on the 3rd of February, 1959, and even though this Outlaw realized how lucky he was, at the time, this did not stop him from getting together with his good mates Willie Nelson, Kris. Kristofferson, Johnny Cash & Merle Haggard (another well known REAL Outlaw), on his arrival back home to Texas, “kickin’ ass”, as the saying goes, & doing their own thing. Like the other “outlaws”, at the time, Waylon Jennings was a typical “man’s man”. He went around (with the “Jenning’s sound), playing guitar & singing his songs in his own inimitable fashion, collecting “fans” by the thousands, drinking, smoking, snorting, & coughing, until he finally found the love of his life, Jessie Colter. Waylon Jennings settled down somewhat, after meeting this stunningly beautiful woman (a talented Country-Composer, herself, a pianist, + accompanist of Waylon, on-stage, his lover & the mother of their one son, Shooter Jennings).

This was indeed the special love-story of the time. Jessie truly loved her man, and Waylon Jennings reciprocated her love, which was plain to see, whenever they appeared on stage together.

Waylon Jennings died on the 13th February 2002, in his sleep, a victim of the dreaded diabetes. He was only 64 years old, but Jessie was there, with him, when it happened.

There are many “couples” in Country Music, I have admired over the years, but Waylon & Jessie were specials far as I am concerned. She remains, still as beautiful as ever, singing & recording, and when I came across her version of “Without You” , dedicated,of course, to her husband, I fully expected the song to be a slow, sad, sentimental ballad, but, one never knows with Jessie Colter.

For all my readers of eLanka, I have picked two songs, written by a woman, still very much in love with her man.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for my “Stories in Song” 2019, I am proud to present Jessie Colter with two songs which I hope all of you will enjoy.