Shooter Jennings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shooter Jennings
Jennings at The Rainbow Bar and Grill in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Waylon Albright Jennings
Born	(1979-05-19) May 19, 1979 (age 46) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country rock outlaw country southern rock
Occupation(s)	Singer musician record producer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Universal South Black Country Rock Media Low Country Sound

Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American musician and record producer. He is the son of famous country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. Throughout his career, which has lasted for over 25 years, Shooter has explored many different types of music.

Jennings first became known with his song "4th of July" from his 2005 album Put the "O" Back in Country. This song reached number 22 on the Billboard country charts. Since then, he has released many studio albums, including Electric Rodeo (2006), The Wolf (2007), and Black Ribbons (2009). He has also released live albums and EPs (Extended Plays).

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Shooter Jennings was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 19, 1979. There are two stories about how he got his nickname "Shooter." His mother said it came from their family's love for western movies and cowboy art. However, his father, Waylon Jennings, joked that he got the name because, as a baby, he made a big splash when his diaper was being changed! Shooter prefers his dad's funny story.

He spent his early years traveling on his parents' tour bus. He was often around music legends like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. By age 5, he was already playing the drums. He started piano lessons at 8 and learned guitar at 14. Sometimes, he even played percussion in his father's band.

In high school, Jennings was the lead singer of a rock band called KilRaven. In 2011, he released one of their songs, "Only You," on an album called "Missed The Boat." In 1996, Shooter and his father recorded an album together called Fenixon. It was finally released in 2014 by Shooter's own record label, Black Country Rock. Shooter Jennings is also the uncle of musician William Harness, known as Struggle Jennings.

Shooter's Music Career

Jennings performing in 2009

Starting with Stargunn

In 2001, Jennings moved to Los Angeles to start a rock band called Stargunn. He played piano and sang lead vocals. The band toured with other rock groups like Saliva and Tesla. In 2001, Music Connection magazine named Stargunn one of the top unsigned artists.

Stargunn's music was featured in the movie Made and the film The Crew. After three years, Jennings decided to leave Stargunn in 2003 to start his solo career. He even turned down offers to join the famous hard rock band Velvet Revolver because he wanted to make his own music.

"Put the "O" Back in Country"

In 2004, Jennings returned to Los Angeles to create new music. In 2005, he signed with Universal South Records and released his first solo album, Put the "O" Back in Country.

The album's first song, "Fourth of July," became a hit, reaching number 22 on the country charts. The album version of this song even features a special appearance by country legend George Jones. Shooter's band for this album was called The .357's. His song "Busted In Baylor County" was used in the 2005 movie The Dukes of Hazzard. Jennings also played his father, Waylon Jennings, in the movie Walk the Line, which was about Johnny Cash.

"Electric Rodeo" and "The Wolf"

Shooter's second album, Electric Rodeo, came out in 2006. It had a louder, more rock-and-roll sound than his first album.

In 2007, he released The Wolf. This album had a 1970s feel and included collaborations with artists like Doug Kershaw and The Oak Ridge Boys. It also featured a cover of the Dire Straits song "Walk of Life". That same year, Jennings sang a duet of "Good Hearted Woman" with Deana Carter.

New Directions and "Black Ribbons"

After releasing four albums with Universal Records, Jennings decided to leave the label in 2009. He then released a collection of his best songs called Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings and the .357's.

In 2009, Jennings appeared on CMT Crossroads, a TV show where two musicians perform together. He was paired with his friend Jamey Johnson, and they sang each other's songs.

After leaving Universal, Jennings changed his band's name from The .357's to Hierophant. His next album, Black Ribbons, was very different. It was a rock opera with a futuristic story, and famous writer Stephen King played a big role in it. Released in 2010, this album showed off Shooter's ability to create different kinds of music and gained him many new fans.

In 2016, Jennings started a podcast series called "Beyond the Black" where he talked about the making of Black Ribbons.

"Family Man" and "The Other Life"

In 2011, Jennings formed a new band called The Triple Crown. With this band, he returned to his country music roots. In 2012, he released the album Family Man. This album was originally planned to be much longer but was split into two parts. The second part, The Other Life, came out in 2013.

Jennings explained that The Other Life contained the "darker" songs that didn't fit with Family Man. He said it was like a "dark mirror" of Family Man. One of his songs, "Wild & Lonesome," was featured on the TV show Sons of Anarchy.

Jennings also released a short film called The Other Life, which used six songs from the album to tell a story about a musician on tour. The film won Best Short Film at the 2013 Horror Hound Festival. Songs from The Other Life were also used in the TV series The Punisher, where Shooter also made an appearance.

Black Country Rock Media

In 2013, Jennings started his own record label and company called Black Country Rock. Through this company, he released music by his mother Jessi Colter and himself, as well as a remastered album by his father, Waylon Jennings.

"The Magic" and "George/Giorgio" Albums

In 2014, Jennings released The Magic, a spoken-word album that followed up on his Black Ribbons album. He also finally released Fenixon, the album he recorded with his father back in 1995.

Later in 2014, Jennings released an EP (Extended Play) called Don't Wait Up (for George), which was a tribute to his friend and mentor, George Jones. His seventh studio album, Countach (For Giorgio), was released in 2016. This album was a tribute to the electronic music pioneer Giorgio Moroder. It featured guest artists like Marilyn Manson and was his first album to appear on the Dance Albums chart.

"Shooter" and Production Work

After Countach, singer Brandi Carlile asked Jennings to help produce her 2018 album, By the Way, I Forgive You. This album was a huge success, earning six Grammy nominations and winning three awards!

Inspired by a classic country album, Jennings decided to work with producer Dave Cobb again for his 2018 album, Shooter. The following year, Jennings and Brandi Carlile teamed up to produce Tanya Tucker's album, While I'm Livin'. This album also won Grammys for Best Country Album and Best Country Song.

Jennings has also produced albums for many other artists, including Duff McKagan (from Guns N' Roses), Marilyn Manson, American Aquarium, and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Radio Show

Since 2005, Shooter Jennings has hosted his own radio show called "Shooter Jennings' Electric Rodeo" on Sirius XM's Outlaw Country channel. The show plays country, rock, and outlaw music.

Musical Style and Influences

Shooter Jennings' music is a mix of different styles. He is influenced by artists like David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., and Marilyn Manson.

Rolling Stone described him as a "country-rock outsider." Jennings doesn't like to be put into just one music category. Marilyn Manson once said that Jennings' music is more "southern" than just "country," because it also has a bit of the Stones' rock sound. AllMusic says Jennings "played by his own rules" and that his music is a strong blend of hard rock and outlaw country. His album Black Ribbons even explored his interest in metal and electronic music.

Personal Life

Shooter Jennings is the son of country music stars Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. He has several half-siblings from his parents' previous marriages. His nephew, country rap artist Struggle Jennings, spent a lot of time with Shooter and Waylon when they were growing up.

Shooter's father, Waylon Jennings, passed away on February 13, 2002. At a tribute ceremony, Shooter sang "I've Always Been Crazy" in honor of his dad.

Jennings dated actress Drea de Matteo starting in 2001. They have two children together, a daughter born in 2007 and a son born in 2011. They later ended their relationship.

On June 4, 2013, Jennings married his long-time friend Misty Brooke Swain in Joshua Tree, California. They first met when Shooter was in his band Stargunn, and Misty was working at a restaurant called the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Shooter and Misty live in Hollywood, California.

Albums by Shooter Jennings

• Put the "O" Back in Country (2005)
• Electric Rodeo (2006)
• The Wolf (2007)
• Black Ribbons (2010)
• Family Man (2012)
• The Other Life (2013)
• Fenixon (with Waylon Jennings) (2014)
• Don't Wait Up (for George) EP (2014)
• Countach (For Giorgio) (2016)
• Shooter (2018)
• Sometimes Y (with Yelawolf) (2022)

Film and TV Appearances

Awards and Nominations

Shooter Jennings has won two Grammy Awards and been nominated five times.