Let’s just say, it’s quite complicated. Waylon Jennings and the Country Music Association have quite a history. And if you don’t know about their colorful relationship and are a fan of country music history, or even history in general, it makes for a pretty interesting story. Waylon was nominated for 29 CMA awards throughout his career, and won four of them. It sounds like a pretty low number to most of us I’m sure, but there’s a reason for that… several reasons, actually. Of course, being the true outlaw that he was, Waylon never really cared if he won or lost anyways, which is what led to a lot of the friction between the two parties. In 1970, Waylon had his first real run in with trouble in terms of the CMA’s, which involved him leaving before his performance of his 1968 hit “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line,” because he was told he would need to cut it short. As he recalled it in his his 1988 autobiography, Waylon: An Autobiography: “One year I’d stormed out of the awards and didn’t mind telling anyone who would listen why. It was Kris Kristofferson’s night… he was a shoo-in for several categories. I had been scheduled to perform ‘Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line.’ They said they were strapped for time, and they wanted me to cut the song to one verse and chorus. I said, ‘Why don’t I just dance across the stage and grin? Maybe do one line. That’ll give you a lot of time.’ They told me to not get smart. Either I did it or I got out. They said, ‘We don’t need you.’ I decided that was true, and I left.” But that beef was far from over… The 1975 CMA Awards In 1975, Waylon was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year, and he won the award for Male Vocalist of the Year. But this time, it was different, because the CMA needed Waylon a lot more than he needed them. Pretty much as soon as Waylon walked into the show with his wife, Jessi Colter, his manager Neil Reshen told him that Jessi didn’t win anything, and as you might guess, Waylon was ready to leave… Jessi insisted that they stay, and Waylon explained his frustrations in his autobiography further: “So much for secrecy. If nobody’s supposed to know the awards before they opened the envelope, how did word get around? My heart went out to Jessi, and though my first instinct was to get the hell gone, I thought that maybe by staying I could raise some of the larger problems that faced country music, such as its closed mindedness and suspicion of change.” And when he finally took the stage to accept the Male Vocalist of the Year award, he kept it very short, and not so sweet, saying simply in his iconic speech… “Thank you, they told me to be nice, I don’t know what they meant by that. Thank you.” Classic. They’re luckily it wasn’t much, much worse than that, to be honest. But as you can imagine, it didn’t end there… later, Waylon was presented the Citation of Merit for his nomination for Album of the Year while on his tour bus in some sort of ceremonial gesture, not long after this show happened. They have the artist who receives the nomination sign the certificate as proof it was received, along with CMA officials, though Waylon was already upset with their antics, and he took this opportunity to express his displeasure in a very obvious way. This was also at the height of his career during the country outlaw movement in the mid 1970’s, if that gives you any context. When they handed him the paper to sign his name, he left his signature and then some, writing: “**** you.” Right at the top of the paper, with his signature underneath it. The guy who now owns that certificate shared even more about that story on Facebook a little over 10 years ago now, where he also revealed that Waylon apparently threw it on the floor after signing it. File this who fiasco under something that would NEVER happen in 2025, and that’s partially why it is one of my all-time favorite Waylon stories. They just don’t make artists like this anymore, and it’s incredibly sad to think that we will never have another Waylon Jennings: The relation between Waylon and the CMA Awards was pretty icy for many years, understandably there was bad blood on both sides, but Waylon did eventually return to the CMA Awards on better terms, though, and around a decade after the whole 1975 debacle, Waylon got back onstage in 1984 for a (full-length, of course) performance debuting his song “America.” If he ever had any bad blood between Waylon and the CMA Award, you’d never know it here: As is evidenced many times over history and his storied, legendary career, you just didn’t mess with Waylon Jennings… and if you did, there was hell to pay, and usually, it was very much deserved. If you’ve never seen that 1975 Entertainer of the Year acceptance speech, you’re in for a real treat… God Bless Waylon Jennings: The 2025 CMA Awards will air live next week from the Bridgestone Arena on November 19 at 7 p.m. CT on ABC with Lainey Wilson taking over as solo host this year. The big show is just under a week away now, and it’s a pretty solid group of artists who will be taking the stage throughout the evening, from Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert to the Red Clay Strays and Zach Top. You can see the full list of nominees HERE.The post Waylon Jennings Famously Signed His 1975 CMA ‘Album Of The Year’ Certificate With A NSFW Phrase first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Revisiting a red dirt classic. Suppose you’re a fan of the cornerstone artists of red dirt music? In that case, the odds are high that you are familiar with Jason Boland & The Stragglers’ famed songs like “Pearl Snaps” or “Somewhere Down In Texas.” Jason Boland, of course, is the Oklahoma native who calls Texas home and has been a mainstay in the Red Dirt music scene for over 20 years with his group, Jason Boland & The Stragglers. The group has a beyond-impressive catalog, with their most recent LP, The Last Kings of Babylon, marking the band’s 11th studio album and coming more than 25 years after the release of their iconic debut project, Pearl Snaps, in 1999. While the music the legendary group is creating today is well worth listening to, there is something about the songs on that debut project that proved Boland would be a timeless staple of the red dirt scene. So timeless that new artists are revisiting these tunes and breathing new life into them two decades after their release. Flatland Cavalry is putting their spin on “Somewhere Down In Texas,” and this is a reimagination I never knew I needed. “Somewhere Down In Texas” is a gorgeous fiddle-driven song about no matter how big the storms of life can get, the sun is always shining somewhere in Texas, and there’s always a place to keep him warm there. Keeping the fiddle focus of the original cut, the West Texas-founded band brings their stylings to the tune without changing the integrity of the original recording. Cleto Cordero’s vocals share the same sincerity as Boland’s, delivering the lyrics with a slightly somber yet hopeful tone, knowing that there is a woman who brings sunshine into his life in Texas. “When I get tied down by the ties that bindSeem like I’m never gonna find the timeTo do what I needAnd that’s to find me a place where I can thinkTalk about love, and laugh and drinkAnd there’s someone there who cares ‘Cause no matter how big it stormsI know I can find me a place that’s warmThe sun is shinin’ somewhere in TexasMm-hm, I hope it’s shinin’ on herSomewhere down in Texas” “Somewhere Down In Texas” was a perfect cover choice for Flatland Cavalry, given the similarity in their band’s sound and the original recording. You can’t blame these Texas boys for passing up a good fiddle tune that highlights their beloved Lone Star State. Good on Flatland for shining a light on this red dirt classic. Twenty-six years after Boland released this tune, the lyrics still ring true. Check it out: And while you’re here, fire up Jason Boland & the Stragglers’ version as well: Flatland Cavalry Tour Dates November 22 – St. Petersburg, Florida – St. Pete Country Fest 2026: February 6 – Auckland, New Zealand – Spark Arena February 8 – Christchurch, New Zealand– Wolfbrook Arena February 11-12 – Boondall, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre February 14 – Newcastle, Australia – Howin’ 2026 February 16 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena February 19-20 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena February 22 – Adelaide, Australia – Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena Jason Boland & The Stragglers 2025 Tour Dates: 11/14 – Bakersfield, CA – Barrelhouse Brewing Company 11/15 – Mesa, AZ – Roosters Country 11/21 – Bryan, TX – The Palace Theater The post Flatland Cavalry Releases Stellar Cover Of Jason Boland & The Stragglers’ “Somewhere Down In Texas” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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