Shooter Jennings Reveals Three Albums of Never-Before-Heard Waylon Jennings Music

Shooter Jennings has announced a landmark three-part archival project featuring never-before-heard recordings from his late father, country legend Waylon Jennings. Timed with both Father's Day and what would have been Waylon's birthday, the June 15 announcement revealed the first of these albums, Songbird, will be released on Oct. 3 and is available for pre-order now.

Shooter discovered the recordings in a locked storage room from his childhood, filled with grey boxes containing his father's tape archive. "There was just so much inside; my mind was blown! These weren't demos; these were songs that were cut with the intention of releasing, and as time went on, not all of them found places on the albums that Waylon and the Waylors were releasing at the time," Shooter shared. He described the discovery as "an audio record of an incredibly profound artist and his legendary band through their peak period of creative expansion."

To complete Songbird, Shooter teamed up with four surviving members of Waylon's longtime backing band, The Waylors, adding final touches to the recordings. The title track is a poignant cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird," featuring vocal contributions from Ashley Monroe and Elizabeth Cook. A companion video featuring archival footage from Waylon's 44th birthday party in 1981, as well as in-studio clips of Shooter and the Waylors working on the project, will also be included with the release.

Shooter emphasized the emotional weight of the project, calling it a defining moment in his life and a way to preserve and share his father's legacy with longtime fans and new listeners alike. "Songbird is the beginning of Waylon's return to the modern world," Jennings said in a statement. "This is the first of three gifts from me to you: the fans that have kept my father's voice, songs, and legacy alive all these years."

Waylon Jennings, who passed away in 2002, last released an album in 1998. His most recent posthumous release was Going Down Rocking: The Last Recordings in 2012. Fans have responded with heartfelt gratitude, calling Songbird a "true gift."