Waylon Jennings
July 2007 — Check in with Lew Jones for the latest on your favorite country legends!
Q: How many No. 1 hits did Waylon Jennings have?
(Harry, Crooksville, OH)
A: I count 16, Harry. The first was "This Time" in 1974, and the last was "Rose In Paradise" in 1987. The source I always use is Billboard magazine, as compiled in the Joel Whitburn books. Waylon may have had more No. 1s if other publications are taken into consideration. Sometime back, I noted that George Strait's No. 1 songs are now in the low 40s (which still would put him the all-time champion, finally surpassing Conway Twitty's previous record of 40). Therefore I was mystified at the title of George's CD Fifty Number Ones. When I asked a source more knowledgeable than I about this, the reply was that MCA Records was using more than one publication's chart histories. So, back to Waylon — his wife, Jessi Colter, and son, Shooter Jennings, might well be able to prove Waylon had more No. 1s as well.
Q: My mother called me to find out how old Tanya Tucker is and I can't find it anywhere. Could you help her win this battle with a girlfriend?
(Tiffany, Ellsworth, MI)
A: Tiffany, any man should know better than to comment on the age of a woman. And this is especially true considering my experience with a recent question about Dolly Parton. (See question below.) However, I have the reference material and will give it a shot. My source says she was born on October 10, 1958 in Seminole, Texas. I don't trust my math. Does that make her 48? Anyhow, she was raised in Willcox, Arizona, was performing on television in Phoenix as a pre-teen, and had her first hit record (Delta Dawn) at age 13.
In an interview with Tanya recently, I asked whether performing so early amounted to a lost childhood. She replied that, on the contrary, she was grateful for the opportunities, and that Delta Dawn "is the one that brought me to the dance." That "dance" so far has resulted in at least 68 charted hits, 10 of which were Billboard No. 1 songs, in a career that has spanned four decades. Tanya says she's been in the studio, working on the finishing touches of her first new album in five years, with producer Gregg Brown. No word yet on the label or release date.
Q: You said Dolly Parton was born in 1946, and you calculated her age at 59. Does that make me 63 since I was born in 1940? I think she would be 61, wouldn't she? Oh well, I feel 25, and Dolly is endless. I could NEVER guess her age.
(Jan, Carson City, NV)
A: Boy, did I take my lumps on that one, Jan! I don't know if it was my calculator or my brain that was low on batteries. But you're right, if Dolly is 61, she seems to have more energy than a 30 and a 31 combined. And, as with the Tanya Tucker question above, I'll certainly be more careful in the future.
Q: I wondered why Leona Williams (once married to Merle Haggard) never received the recognition she deserves as a country singer. I was completely stunned by her remarkable voice.
(Tristan, Oakland, CA)
A: Good question, Tristan. Maybe it's for the same reason that Joanne Woodward's acting career slowed down after she married Paul Newman. Leona seems most comfortable playing a supporting role. She did make it onto the charts nine times, two of which were duets with husband-at-the-time Merle Haggard. The biggest of these was "The Bull And The Beaver," which peaked at No. 8 in 1978. I met Leona recently, who joked that during the time she was married to Merle, she was known as "Hag's Nag." When not performing as one of the Grand Ladies Of Country in Branson, she stays busy managing the career of country music legend Ferlin Husky.
Q: Who sang a song called "Fraulein"?
(Ray, Marmet, WV)
A: It was the late Bobby Helms, Ray. It was Helms' first No. 1 hit in early 1957. His other No. 1 song on the country charts was the followup, "My Special Angel." If this still is not ringing a bell, he had one other No. 1 song, (on the pop charts), and it is bound to be familiar. It's the Christmas classic, "Jingle Bell Rock." Helms died in 1997 at the age of 61.
Q: In the sixties there was a song sung by a woman that went something like this, "We walked in the sunshine, we laughed every day." Who sings this and what is the title?
(Jenny, Lubbock, TX)
A: This falls into the category of artists known as "one hit wonders," Jenny. It was Gale Garnett and the song was "We'll Sing In The Sunshine." She stayed busy, though, acting in several movies and some TV shows.
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