Waylon Jennings Birthplace — Littlefield, Texas

Waylon Arnold Jennings was born on June 15, 1937, in Littlefield, Texas — a small cotton-farming town on the South Plains, not far from Lubbock. He was playing guitar on the radio by the age of twelve and was working as a disc jockey at KLLL in Lubbock when he befriended Buddy Holly. Holly produced Jennings's first single and, crucially, gave up his seat on the ill-fated February 3, 1959, charter flight to allow bassist Waylon to travel by bus instead. The plane crashed, killing Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. Jennings carried the guilt of surviving for the rest of his life.

Jennings eventually moved to Nashville, chafed against the polished, producer-controlled "countrypolitan" sound of the era, and became the central figure of the outlaw country movement alongside Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Tompall Glaser. His 1976 album "Wanted! The Outlaws" — recorded with Nelson — was the first country album certified platinum. Songs like "Good Ol' Boys," "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," and "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" remain cornerstones of the genre.

Littlefield honours Jennings with a historical marker. The broader Lubbock area — Buddy Holly country — has become a significant music heritage corridor, and Jennings's birthplace fits naturally into that landscape. He died in Chandler, Arizona, on February 13, 2002, from complications of diabetes, and is buried in Mesa, Arizona.