Waylon Jennings’ Daughter-in-Law Addresses Luke Bryan’s Outlaw Comments
Waylon Jennings' daughter-in-law has offered an angry response to the comments Luke Bryan made last week, perceived by some to be an attack on legendary country artists like Jennings, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. In a heated post and video, Kathy Pinkerman Jennings defends the late icon before resorting to name-calling.
She writes on Facebook:
To Luke Bryan :
I hope your family members are proud of you for using your WORLDWIDE platform to take the time to disrespect my Father in Law. You have managed to PROVE to the world your true self.
Albeit that Waylon's drug use is well documented and something he overcame, I assure you, he was never "laying in a gutter." At the peak of his career and drug abuse, he was making history and setting records. He, single handedly paved the way for you and everyone else to make music the way the artist wanted to make it. I'm not willing to waste my time to debate your "music" and / or the fact you have zillions of fans - I will however, not sit back and be quiet when you have so blatantly disrespected Waylon.
I recall the time I was at the Grand Ole Opry to visit with Andy Griggs, you were making your debut appearance. My friend that was with us had just seen your video. As we stood at the side of the stage, Jeannie Seeley was talking to us and you walked over to introduce your self to her and told her how much you admired her, she in turn introduced you to myself and my husband. I almost got a cavity because of the sweetness of the words coming out of your mouth - you told us Waylon was one of your musical heroes. You went on and on and on.
This is not about music, Outlaw Country, whatever - it's about DISRESPECT.
You are a platinum, disrespecting, no singing, whining, grasping for media attention, a--hole. Use your platform for something good, instead of bashing the LEGENDS that came before you.
Kathy Jennings is the wife of Buddy Jennings, Waylon’s son. She makes it clear in a followup YouTube video that she’s not speaking on behalf of the family, but her comments attempt to defend the “I've Always Been Crazy” singer, whom she says "single handedly paved the way for you and everyone else to make music the way the artist wanted to make it."
The dust-up began last week, when Bryan told Hits Daily Double that he sings about what he sings about because that’s what he knows. “I’m not an outlaw country singer,” he declared. “I don’t do cocaine and run around. So I’m not going to sing outlaw country.” Jennings had a well-known cocaine habit during the peak of his career.
Bryan also says that people who want to hear artists like Jennings, Nelson and Haggard, “just need to buy Merle, Willie and Waylon.”
In a four-tweet message that came the next day, Bryan clarified, saying he wasn’t attacking the three legends. He calls them “musical heroes,” a point Kathy Jennings reinforces in telling the story of when she met Bryan at the beginning of his country career. She says she felt the urge to respond to Bryan's disrespectful comments about Waylon.
Bryan was in Nashville over the weekend to play for a sold-out stadium audience at Vanderbilt University. The singer is preparing to release Kill the Lights studio album in August.
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