February 3 - the day Waylon Jennings didn't die

While everyone else is remembering the 50th anniversary of the death of Buddy Holly, I'm going to use the occasion to note that someone else was supposed to be on that plane, but in the midst of that "Tour from Hell," he gave up his seat and continued on toward Minnesota by bus.

Waylon Jennings was 21 years old in 1959, touring the Midwest with fellow Texan Buddy Holly. As a result of the persistent cold weather during that "Winter Dance Party" tour, J.P. ("Big Bopper") Richardson had become ill, and he asked Waylon Jennings to give up his seat on the plane.

Jennings agreed to give up the seat. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up." Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes." This exchange of words, though made in jest at the time, haunted Jennings for the rest of his life.

I've embedded two videos above. Nowadays when anyone thinks of Waylon Jennings, they picture him in his "outlaw country" years, dressed in black and singing with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash et al. The top video shows what he was like in the 1960s, in a more traditional country outfit (and venue - that's Hee Haw), singing a more traditional song (Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee").

But you won't watch that one all the way through, because "Me and Bobby McGee" belongs forever to Janis Joplin. For a Waylon Jennings experience, choose the bottom video in which he and Willie Nelson perform "Good Hearted Woman" from the album of the same name, released in 1972 when I was living in Texas and thoroughly enjoying this music.