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re: Who was the most popular outlaw country singer at the height of its popularity?

Posted on 3/20/18 at 2:48 pm to
Posted by FightinTigersDammit
Louisiana North
Member since Mar 2006
35005 posts
Posted on 3/20/18 at 2:48 pm to
quote:

Waylon, hands down.


Because he was the first to get artistic control of his own albums. He was a difference-maker.
This post was edited on 3/20/18 at 3:41 pm
Posted by el Gaucho
He/They
Member since Dec 2010
53425 posts
Posted on 3/20/18 at 2:54 pm to
Luke Bryan if you count today
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81898 posts
Posted on 3/20/18 at 4:34 pm to
Hazel Smith, credited with coining country's 'outlaw music' term, dead at 83



quote:

After moving to Nashville with her two young sons, Smith became the publicist for irreverent singer-songwriter Kinky Friedman.

In the early 1970s, while working as a publicist at the Glaser Brothers' "Hillbilly Central" office/studio on 19th Avenue S., she began using the term "outlaw music" to describe the songs of country renegades like Tompall Glaser, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

"Now, it doesn’t say this in mine or any other dictionary I’ve seen, but it said that outlaw meant virtually living on the outside of the written law," Smith told The Nashville Scene in 1997. "It just made sense to me, because Owen Bradley and Chet Atkins were doing marvelous music, but this was another step in another direction."
Posted by WAY2GOLSU
Stick Red
Member since Dec 2007
1353 posts
Posted on 3/21/18 at 10:12 pm to
I came here to say one word.
Waylon...
Posted by GreatLakesTiger24
One State Solution
Member since May 2012
55976 posts
Posted on 3/21/18 at 10:18 pm to
quote:

Not even close. Willie, Waylon, Cash all had bigger hits than DAC. Way more.

1) Cash is excluded from this
2) You never even called me by my name is a bigger hit than anything by Willie or Waylon
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89765 posts
Posted on 3/21/18 at 10:22 pm to
quote:

Willie was first and foremost a songwriter from the 50 - 60 era. He was only allowed to tag along with Waylon and Tompall because he always had the good weed.


Well, this isn't true. Willie got Waylon to come out to Austin.

A funny story from Tales from the Tour Bus (Mike Judge's show on Cinemax) involves Waylon taking his band to the Indian reservation (I think the Navajos in New Mexico) that the folks there more or less worshipped Waylon. Waylon cautioned one of the guys, "I'm real popular here." The band guy said, "Well hell, Waylon, you're popular everywhere." Waylon corrected him, "No. I'm like the Rolling Stones, here."
Posted by WMTigerFAN
Ouachita
Member since Feb 2005
4504 posts
Posted on 3/21/18 at 11:00 pm to
Left out Charlie Daniels, and Marshall Tucker Band
Posted by LSU alum wannabe
Katy, TX
Member since Jan 2004
27055 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 8:47 am to
Had to be Willie. He had a movie Honeysuckle Rose and it was out the same year as Urban Cowboy. Different styles of country music but the two movies rode a wave of country music crossing over to main stream in that year to regular pop culture.

Waylon vs. Willie can get into an argument of who was better not really more popular. We’d be here all day.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81898 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 9:22 am to
quote:

2) You never even called me by my name is a bigger hit than anything by Willie or Waylon
I wonder about this. I do think more people know of it, but it hit 8 on the country chart. Waylon:

quote:

Meanwhile, between 1965 and 1991, 96 singles charted, with 16 number ones
Posted by LSU alum wannabe
Katy, TX
Member since Jan 2004
27055 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 9:28 am to
quote:

wonder about this. I do think more people know of it, but it hit 8 on the country chart. Waylon:



And Coe didn’t write it. How many of Waylon’s #1s did he write or co write?

I just can’t put DAC in the same stratosphere. Not with Willie and Waylon. He was fringe with the exception of that song. Like a Townes Van Zandt, but with a huge hit. I don’t think Townes had any hits. Not that he sang? He wrote Pancho&Lefty. Everybody chiming in here probably knows that. But did he have a hit that he sang?
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81898 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 10:13 am to
quote:

I just can’t put DAC in the same stratosphere.
I get where you are coming from, but the reason I would say that is due to reputation and general talk. If I really thought about it and said, whose ten songs would I enjoy most right now, the answer would probably be DAC. If That Ain't Country is probably my favorite from any of these people.
Posted by kciDAtaE
Member since Apr 2017
16014 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 6:07 pm to
quote:

You never even called me by my name is a bigger hit than anything by Willie or Waylon


Even if that one hit is bigger than anything Willie or Waylon put out, which I doubt those numbers, that’s just one song. That doesn’t mean he was more popular as a whole.

Lots of Willie’s songs are huge along with Waylon. But those aren’t played in college bars every other night so I can see why you are mistaken.
Posted by FightinTigersDammit
Louisiana North
Member since Mar 2006
35005 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 7:37 pm to
quote:

Lots of Willie’s songs are huge along with Waylon. But those aren’t played in college bars every other night so I can see why you are mistaken.


That would cut into the Fla/Ga Line quota
Posted by mmmmmbeeer
ATL
Member since Nov 2014
7467 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 8:51 pm to
I'd never been a fan of country music at any point in my life until someone introduced me to Waylon. I'm still not a country music fan but Waylon's music is fantastic, moreso when you take the time to read up on him and/or watch videos on youtube. The guy IS country music, imo, which is why I find so much other shite just awful. There haven't been many like him.
Posted by dawgfan24348
Member since Oct 2011
49421 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 9:29 pm to
Posted by Jim Rockford
Member since May 2011
98599 posts
Posted on 3/22/18 at 11:19 pm to
quote:

I don’t think Townes had any hits. Not that he sang? He wrote Pancho&Lefty. Everybody chiming in here probably knows that. But did he have a hit that he sang?





Townes didnt have much of a singing voice, tbh.

Hank Sr. was the OG outlaw. His reputation was so bad that Maybelle Carter wouldn't let him court her daughter Anita. JC was an outlaw from the get-go, although he was also Nashville royalty by virtue of his massive talent and marriage to June Carter. Willie started the Austin scene when he left Nashville and moved back home to Texas, and the others followed.


This post was edited on 3/22/18 at 11:22 pm
Posted by LSU alum wannabe
Katy, TX
Member since Jan 2004
27055 posts
Posted on 3/23/18 at 3:08 pm to
quote:

Townes didnt have much of a singing voice, tbh.


Absolutely true. Definitely an acquired taste.

quote:

Hank Sr. was the OG outlaw. His reputation was so bad that Maybelle Carter wouldn't let him court her daughter Anita. JC


He just goes back too far. shite, when did he die? 1960???
Posted by GreatLakesTiger24
One State Solution
Member since May 2012
55976 posts
Posted on 3/23/18 at 4:20 pm to
quote:

I'd never been a fan of country music at any point in my life until someone introduced me to Waylon. I'm still not a country music fan but Waylon's music is fantastic, moreso when you take the time to read up on him and/or watch videos on youtube. The guy IS country music, imo, which is why I find so much other shite just awful. There haven't been many like him.

i'm with you on all of that. waylon is the only country i listen to.
Posted by BigOrangeBri
Nashville- 4th & 19
Member since Jul 2012
12417 posts
Posted on 3/23/18 at 6:09 pm to
Merle was the biggest star, but wasn't really outlaw country.

Waylon and Willie were outlaw country.

Hank Jr was huge, but kind of an outlaw country/southern rock hybrid
Posted by BigOrangeBri
Nashville- 4th & 19
Member since Jul 2012
12417 posts
Posted on 3/23/18 at 6:19 pm to
quote:

2) You never even called me by my name is a bigger hit than anything by Willie or Waylon


While I agree with you that DAC is being undervalued ITT, this is completely and totally false.
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