NEED TO KNOW
- Country singer Waylon Jennings had seven kids: Terry, Tomi, Julie, Deana, Buddy, Jenni and Shooter
- Two of his children — Terri and Julie — have died
- Jenni and Shooter are singers, like their father
Singer Waylon Jennings was a father to several children, including Terry, Tomi, Julie, Deana, Buddy, Jenni and Shooter.
One of the most revered country musicians of all time, Jennings was married four times and raised seven kids. In 1955, he married Maxine Lawrence, and they went on to welcome son Terry, daughter Julie, son Buddy Dean and daughter Deana.
Jennings and Lawrence divorced in 1962, and the musician married Lynne Jones that same year. The pair welcomed their daughter Tomi Lynne via adoption, before they divorced in 1967.
In 1969, Jennings married fellow country musician Jessi Colter. At the time, Colter already had daughter Jenni from a previous relationship, and Jennings raised her as his own. The singers later welcomed their son Shooter.
Though most of Jennings’ children live private lives, Shooter has followed in his footsteps, becoming a country music star. Despite being in the same genre as his father, he doesn’t try to emulate his sound.
“My dad said to me when I was younger, ‘Don’t ever try to be like anyone else, because you’re never gonna be,’ ” Shooter told the Grammy Awards in 2020. “It took a long time for me to really get that, you know. But, that to me has always stood the test of time.”
Here’s everything to know about Waylon Jennings’ seven kids: Terry, Tomi, Julie, Deana, Buddy, Jenni and Shooter.
Terry Jennings
Jennings and Lawrence welcomed their first child together, son Terry, on Jan. 21, 1957.
While Terry and his three siblings were young, Jennings was largely on the road touring. The kids grew up at home with Lawrence in Levelland, Texas.
After Waylon’s career skyrocketed, Terry dropped out of high school to tour with his dad, as he wrote in his 2016 memoir Waylon: Tales of My Outlaw Dad. Subsequently, the two “became more like brothers than father and son,” per the book’s description.
Eventually, Terry left the touring life and established his own music management and consulting company, Korban Music Group.
On Jan. 25, 2019, Terry’s son Josh announced on Facebook that his father had died.
“He lived an adventurous life as many of you know and he has accomplished so much,” Josh wrote. “I was always proud to be his son. I know he touched many of your hearts and he always enjoyed sharing his life adventures and lessons with you all. I still hold many of those lessons with me everyday.”
Julie Rae Jennings
Jennings and Lawrence welcomed their daughter Julie on Aug. 12, 1958.
In her early career, she worked for Jennings in the music business, and later became a disc jockey in Florida, per her obituary.
Julie married Larry Burdette, and the couple lived together in Fort Worth, Texas. She died of cancer on Oct. 3, 2014, per the official Waylon Jennings Facebook page.
“She worked hard, she played hard and she loved hard,” her obituary read.
Buddy Dean Jennings
Jennings and Lawrence welcomed their son Buddy Dean on March 21, 1960.
He was named after Jennings’ childhood friend Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash the year before, per Country Rebel.
Buddy lives in Nashville, according to his Facebook. In 2019, he underwent a heart transplant at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, per a post on X from Jennings’ account.
Deana Jennings
Deana is the youngest daughter of Jennings and Lawrence.
She lived a private life until her death in March 2015, according to a post on the official Waylon Jennings Facebook page.
Tomi Lynne Jennings
Tomi is the daughter of Jennings and Jones, who were married from 1962 to 1967.
She has a daughter named Waylynne, according to a 2018 Instagram post by Colter, and lives a private life.
In 2021, Tomi visited her dad’s wax figure at Madame Tussaud’s Nashville.
“Today, Waylon Jennings’ daughter Tomi Lynne, met his wax figure for the first time. It was a special reunion ❤️,” the museum posted on Facebook.
Jennifer “Jenni” Eddy Jennings
When Jennings and Colter married on Oct. 26, 1969, she already had a daughter, Jennifer “Jenni” Eddy, from her relationship with musician Duane Eddy. Subsequently, Jennings raised Jenni as his own.
She now goes by Jenni Eddy Jennings and is a musician and songwriter. She has two sons, Struggle Jennings and Whey Jennings, who are also singers.
In 2018, Jenni and Struggle put out an EP called Spiritual Warfare.
Waylon Albright “Shooter” Jennings
Jennings and Colter welcomed Waylon Albright “Shooter” Jennings on May 19, 1979.
There’s a bit of a debate over how Shooter got his nickname: Colter said the couple’s love of cowboys inspired the name, per a 2005 story in the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, Jennings claimed that when Shooter was born, he urinated on a nurse before anyone could put a diaper on him, which led to his moniker.
“I love my mom, but I like Dad’s version better,” Shooter told the outlet. “And I believe it’s true. He didn’t make [stuff] like that up.”
Shooter is a rock country musician and a Grammy-winning producer. He has released eight studio albums, including 2005’s Put the “O” Back in Country and 2006’s Electric Rodeo. He produced songs for friends like Brandi Carlile, per Billboard.
Outside of music, he appeared as a young version of his dad in the 2005 film Walk the Line. He also hosts a Sirius XM show on Outlaw Country called Electric Rodeo.
Shooter has two kids with ex-fiancé Drea de Matteo: daughter Alabama Gypsy Rose, who was born on Nov. 28, 2007, and son Waylon Albert “Blackjack” Jennings, who was born on April 7, 2011.
Having children changed his priorities, he told the Dallas News in 2008.
“It puts the whole thing in perspective, ’cause life is now moving at [Alabama’s] pace. It’s driven me more creatively, too,” he said. “She’s such a great baby. Drea and I thought we were too young to have a baby. But we love it.”
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