Isn’t it amazing when two of the biggest names in country music history join forces to sing a song written by another country music superstar? Well, we’re talking about Willie Nelson’s “Night Life.”
In 1979, George Jones and Waylon Jennings released their rendition of the song off Jones’ album, My Very Special Guests – which took two years to complete. By the late 1970s, Jones was in such bad shape from drinking and cocaine addiction, which took a toll on his music career. In fact, in the documentary, Same Ole Me, producer Billy Sherrill revealed that they put an unbelievable amount of hours in the studio, with some of the songs taking a year to record just because Jones’ voice wouldn’t be up to it.
Still, in the midst of his chaotic life, Jones went on recording the duets. It featured several artists his fans were familiar with. In addition to Jennings, there’s Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Elvis Costello, and more.
A Standout On The Album
George Jones and Waylon Jennings’ recording of “Night Life” is so iconic that it’s quite hard to think of anyone else singing it together. The two country legends joined forces on the realities of the nightlife – where one could use the dark to cover their sadness. They fed off each other’s energy and delivered such an enthusiastic rendition.
Willie Nelson wrote “Night Life” in 1959, during one of his trips from his home in Pasadena, Texas. It was first recorded and released by Ray Price as the title track off his 1963 album. It became a hit for Price, who then began using the song as the introduction in his shows, rather than the usual backing fiddles.
You can listen to “Night Life” by George Jones and Waylon Jennings in the video below.
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George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson