Through the Decades

Country legend Waylon Jennings never held back when it came to his thoughts on the direction of the genre he helped shape. In a 1995 interview recently resurfaced by the YouTube channel Video Stock Archives, Jennings took a moment to reflect on the state of country music and to praise two women, Wynonna Judd and Trisha Yearwood. The interview revealed Jennings’ deep appreciation for authenticity in music. While many of the male peers were moving towards commercial trends, Jennings felt that it was women such as Yearwood and Judd who were truly keeping the spirit of country alive. His comment worked to remind everyone of the huge impact female voices were having on the decade's sound. Celebrating the women of ‘90s Country Waylon Jennings/X During the interview, Jennings shared that he felt the genre had veered off course by the early ’90s. In his opinion, the era of “hat acts” and image-driven male performers lacked substance. But women in the ‘90s country genre were cutting through the noise with sincerity and talent. Jennings noted that Judd and Yearwood excelled because they were focused on offering real stories in fine songs. He singled out Yearwood's "The Song Remembers When" as one of the finest records he had ever heard. Jennings complimented the way such women were not coerced into being sex symbols but were instead making success on their own terms with real artistry. He even noted that many of them were laughing at how the tables had turned on the industry’s expectations. Trisha Yearwood, ca. mid-1990s. ph: Challenge Roddie / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection, Wynonna Judd, 1993. ph: Jeff Katz / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection Waylon Jennings' enduring support for female artists Judd and Yearwood were not only popular, they were respected by icons like Jennings. He believed they were doing country music the right way by staying true to its roots. That kind of praise from an icon like Waylon wasn’t handed out lightly. WAYLON JENNINGS AND FRIENDS, from left: Mark Chestnutt, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Alison Krauss, John Anderson, (aired January 18, 1995), 1995. ph: Theresa Montgomery / ©TNN / Courtesy Everett Collection His comments reflected a larger truth that while male artists wrestled with trends, women in country music helped steer the genre back toward its core values. Jennings’ recognition of that impact only cements their legacy in country history. https://youtu.be/wGVJPo3djME?simWZCuTD7qqK6sgug

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