Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter: A Classic Country Love Story

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Jennings was married three times before meeting and marrying Colter in 1969. He told Rolling Stone that it changed his life.

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“When I met Jessi, I was pretty well at my lowest point. I weighed 138 pounds, and I was bent on self-destruction. Wallerin’ in self-pity was the biggest part of it, stayin’ depressed all the time and stoned. Jess was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

He helped her secure a record deal with RCA, and she officially changed her stage name to “Jessi Colter” (in honor of her great-grandfather Jesse Colter). The couple started recording together and Colter released her debut album A Country Star is Born, which unfortunately wasn’t successful. She moved to Capitol Records in 1975.

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The two singers quickly became the couple in outlaw country. Their duet, “Suspicious Minds,” scored the couple a Grammy nomination in 1970. “I’m Not Lisa” reached number one on the Billboard charts in 1975 and her album I’m Jessi Colter also reached number one on the country charts. “What’s Happened to Blue Eyes” also reached top ten on the charts.

In 1976, Wanted! The Outlaws album sold over a million copies and featured Jennings, Colter, Willie Nelson, and Tompall Glaser.


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