Shooter Jennings

Biography

Waylon Albright "Shooter×Shooter10 August 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Bound ta Git Down2:512Do You Love Texas?3:413Living in a Minor Key3:124D.R.U.N.K.3:345Shades & Hues4:276I’m Wild & My Woman is Crazy3:047Fast Horses & Good Hideouts3:408Rhinestone Eyes3:369Denim & Diamonds3:26" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American musician and record producer. He is the son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. In a career spanning over four decades, Jennings has explored a variety of musical genres.
Jennings made his debut with the single "4th of July" of his 2005 album Put the "O" Back in Country on Universal South, which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard country charts. Jennings has since followed with seven full-length studio albums: Electric Rodeo×Electric Rodeo4 April 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Electric Rodeo4:332Gone to Carolina4:073Some Rowdy Women3:144The Song Is Still Slipping Away3:105Hair of the Dog4:016Little White Lines5:307Alligator Chomp (The Ballad of Dr. Martin Luther Frog, Jr.)3:118Manifesto No. 22:099Aviators3:2310Bad Magick5:1211It Ain't Easy3:05 (2006), The Wolf×The Wolf23 October 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1This Ol' Wheel3:442Tangled Up Roses3:253Walk of Life3:594Old Friend4:535Slow Train3:426Time Management 1012:457Concrete Cowboys3:298Higher3:229Blood From a Stone3:0610Last Time I Let You Down3:2711She Lives in Color3:2012The Wolf4:0313A Matter of Time6:04 (2007), Black Ribbons×Black Ribbons2 March 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Wake Up!6:012Last Light Radio 11:01 PM2:313Triskaidekaphobia3:104Don’t Feed the Animals3:285The Breaking Point5:466Last Light Radio 11:16 PM1:327Everything Else Is Illusion3:358God Bless Alabama3:329All of This Could Have Been Yours4:4710Last Light Radio 11:29 PM1:1211Fuck You (I’m Famous)1:4412Lights in the Sky5:1113Black Ribbons4:2114Last Light Radio 11:41 PM1:3515Summer of Rage5:4016California Via Tennessee3:1917The Illuminated4:5518Last Light Radio 11:57 PM1:0819When the Radio Goes Dead5:0820All of This Could Have Been Yours (reprise)3:10 (2009), Family Man×Family Man13 March 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1The Real Me4:192The Long Road Ahead3:593The Deed and the Dollar4:024Manifesto No. 43:125Summer Dreams (Al's Song)3:116Southern Family Anthem3:237Daddy's Hands3:078The Black Dog5:019The Family Tree4:2410Born Again5:35 (2012), The Other Life (2013) Countach (For Giorgio) (2016), and Shooter (2018), in addition to a live album, a compilation, and numerous EPs.

Early life

Jennings was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 19, 1979. There are two different accounts regarding how he got his nickname "Shooter×Shooter10 August 2018 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Bound ta Git Down2:512Do You Love Texas?3:413Living in a Minor Key3:124D.R.U.N.K.3:345Shades & Hues4:276I’m Wild & My Woman is Crazy3:047Fast Horses & Good Hideouts3:408Rhinestone Eyes3:369Denim & Diamonds3:26." His mother cited her, and husband Waylon Jennings's, love of western culture and cowboy art for inspiring the gun-derived moniker. But his father said he came up with the name when, moments after the newborn emerged from his mother's womb, the boy sprayed a nurse before anyone could put on his first diaper. "I love my mom," says Jennings, "but I like Dad's version better. And I believe it's true. He didn't make [stuff] like that up."
In 1996, Jennings and his father recorded an album together. They called it Fenixon (a play on the words "phoenix" and "son") but could not find a label to distribute it.

Stargunn

In 2001, Jennings left Nashville, Tennessee, to seek his fortunes in Los Angeles. He assembled and performed with Stargunn, a rock band.
After the band's breakup, Jennings was twice presented with the opportunity to front the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, but chose instead to pursue a solo career.

Black Ribbons

On May 1, 2010, Jennings announced "Black Ribbons: The Living Album" on his Twitter account.

Black Country Rock Media

In October 2013, Jennings announced the formation of his new label and multi-format recording company, Black Country Rock.

"George/Giorgio" releases

Towards the end of May 2014, Jennings announced his intention to release two EP's later in the year. Don't Wait Up (for George) is a tribute to his close friend and mentor George Jones, which was released in August 2014. Jennings's seventh studio album, Countach (For Giorgio)×Countach (for Giorgio)11 March 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Loading…0:472Countach3:243From Here to Eternity4:274I’m Left You’re Right She’s Gone5:595Born to Die4:526Chase2:537Love Kills5:028The Neverending Story4:339Cat People8:10, was originally scheduled to be released in November 2014, but its release was delayed due to the sudden death of Jon Hensley, Jennings's longtime manager and friend and Black Country Rock co-founder. A tribute to 1970s electronic-music pioneer and producer, Giorgio Moroder, the album was released on February 26, 2016, and features guest vocals from Steve Young, Brandi Carlile, Marilyn Manson and Richard Garriott de Cayeux. The album became his first to enter the Dance Albums chart, peaking at number seven there.

Radio show

Since 2005, Jennings has hosted "Shooter Jennings' Electric Rodeo×Electric Rodeo4 April 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Electric Rodeo4:332Gone to Carolina4:073Some Rowdy Women3:144The Song Is Still Slipping Away3:105Hair of the Dog4:016Little White Lines5:307Alligator Chomp (The Ballad of Dr. Martin Luther Frog, Jr.)3:118Manifesto No. 22:099Aviators3:2310Bad Magick5:1211It Ain't Easy3:05" on SiriusXM Outlaw Country channel. The show's format primarily consists of country, rock, and outlaw music. It airs on Saturday night at 6–8 pm EST, with a replay on Sunday at 10–12 pm.

Production work

Together with Dave Cobb, Jennings produced Brandi Carlile's 2018 album By the Way, I Forgive You, which earned the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. The following year, Jennings teamed up with Carlile to co-produce Tanya Tucker's album While I'm Livin', which won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Jennings collaborated as producer with Duff McKagan for his 2019 solo album, Tenderness. The album was recorded with Jennings' band, The Waters and The Suicide Horn Section, amongst others. In March 2019, a tour was announced in support of the album, featuring Jennings' band playing both the support slot as well as the headline slot as the backing band for McKagan.
Jennings produced Marilyn Manson's eleventh studio album We Are Chaos, released in September 2020.
Again with Dave Cobb, Jennings co-produced Carlile's 2021 album In These Silent Days, which won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Jennings and Carlile reunited to co-produce Tucker's 2023 album Sweet Western Sound. Also in 2023, Jennings produced the Turnpike Troubadours' comeback album A Cat in the Rain, their first record since 2017.
In 2022, Jennings announced he was stepping back from touring to focus full-time on production work. He subsequently co-produced a trilogy of albums for Charley Crockett on Island Records — Lonesome Drifter (2025), Dollar a Day (2025), and Age of the Ram (2026) — as well as the Turnpike Troubadours' The Price of Admission (2025).
Jennings produced Robert Randolph's solo debut Preacher Kids (2025) on Sun Records, which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

Style and influences

Shooter Jennings's influences include David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Nine Inch Nails, Guns N' Roses, Rage Against the Machine and Marilyn Manson.
Rolling Stone described Jennings as a "country-rock outsider". Regarding classification of his music, Jennings said that he did not want to be pigeonholed as being solely a rock musician. Marilyn Manson argued against Jennings's work being classified as country music, saying "southern" was a more appropriate classification, noting the latter "also drags in a bit of the Stones, in a way". AllMusic described Jennings as having "established himself as an artist who played by his own rules" and said that his music is "strongly informed by both hard rock and outlaw country", while his album Black Ribbons×Black Ribbons2 March 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Wake Up!6:012Last Light Radio 11:01 PM2:313Triskaidekaphobia3:104Don’t Feed the Animals3:285The Breaking Point5:466Last Light Radio 11:16 PM1:327Everything Else Is Illusion3:358God Bless Alabama3:329All of This Could Have Been Yours4:4710Last Light Radio 11:29 PM1:1211Fuck You (I’m Famous)1:4412Lights in the Sky5:1113Black Ribbons4:2114Last Light Radio 11:41 PM1:3515Summer of Rage5:4016California Via Tennessee3:1917The Illuminated4:5518Last Light Radio 11:57 PM1:0819When the Radio Goes Dead5:0820All of This Could Have Been Yours (reprise)3:10 "explored his interest in metal and electronic music".

Game design

Jennings has acknowledged being a "huge geek", and wanting to design computer games since his childhood. In 2009, he developed a Flash-based role-playing game as part of an interactive website for his album Black Ribbons×Black Ribbons2 March 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Wake Up!6:012Last Light Radio 11:01 PM2:313Triskaidekaphobia3:104Don’t Feed the Animals3:285The Breaking Point5:466Last Light Radio 11:16 PM1:327Everything Else Is Illusion3:358God Bless Alabama3:329All of This Could Have Been Yours4:4710Last Light Radio 11:29 PM1:1211Fuck You (I’m Famous)1:4412Lights in the Sky5:1113Black Ribbons4:2114Last Light Radio 11:41 PM1:3515Summer of Rage5:4016California Via Tennessee3:1917The Illuminated4:5518Last Light Radio 11:57 PM1:0819When the Radio Goes Dead5:0820All of This Could Have Been Yours (reprise)3:10. A Los Angeles Times reviewer noted Jennings was "clearly having fun" adapting the album's subject matter for the game.
The singer launched a bulletin board system called "Bit Sunrise" in 2014. The following year, he released his first BBS door game, From Here to Eternity, and promised to send 1 Bitcoin to the first player to complete the game.
Jennings described From Here to Eternity as "Zork meets Legend of the Red Dragon", and said that developing it was a healing experience for him after the death of his manager and partner Jon Hensley. The game features ANSI art by Luciano Ayres of the group Blocktronics.

Personal life

Jennings is the son of country music singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. He has six half-siblings. His nephew is Struggle Jennings.
Jennings began dating actress Drea de Matteo in 2001. They have two children together, a daughter born in 2007 and a son born in 2011.
Jennings married long-time friend Misty Brooke Swain on June 4, 2013, in Joshua Tree, California.

Production discography

Studio albums

Waylon Forever - Waylon Jennings & The .357s (2008)
Black Ribbons - Shooter Jennings & Hierophant (2010)
Family Man - Shooter Jennings (2012)
Dark and Dirty Mile - Jason Boland & The Stragglers (2013)
Ashes & Angels - Fifth on the Floor (2013)
The Other Life - Shooter Jennings (2013)
Fenixon - Shooter Jennings and Waylon Jennings (2014)
Live 55 — Waylon Jennings (2015)
Symbols & Snares - Last Daze (2015)
A Night in Room 8 - Billy Don Burns (2016)
Countach (For Giorgio) - Shooter Jennings (2016)
New Stuff — Waylon Jennings (2017)
Pinball - Hellbound Glory (2017)
By the Way, I Forgive You - Brandi Carlile (2018)
Tenderness - Duff McKagan (2019)
While I'm Livin' - Tanya Tucker (2019)
Pure Scum - Hellbound Glory (2020)
Lamentations - American Aquarium (2020)
Neon Cross - Jaime Wyatt (2020)
No Time For Love Songs - The Mastersons (2020)
On the Widow's Walk - The White Buffalo (2020)
We Are Chaos - Marilyn Manson (2020)
Chasing Whiskey - Shooter Jennings, Jesse Dayton, Michael Devin & Matt Sorum (2021)
In These Silent Days - Brandi Carlile (2021)
The Light Saw Me - Jason Boland & The Stragglers (2021)
Sometimes Y - Yelawolf & Shooter Jennings (2022)
Floating on a Dream - Avi Kaplan (2022)
No Regular Dog - Kelsey Waldon (2022)
The Immortal Hellbound Glory: Nobody Knows You - Hellbound Glory (2022)
Sweet Western Sound - Tanya Tucker (2023)
Lonesome Drifter - Charley Crockett (2025)
The Price of Admission - The Turnpike Troubadours (2025)
Dollar a Day - Charley Crockett (2025)
Songbird — Waylon Jennings (2025)
Rise - Melissa Etheridge (2026)
Age of the Ram — Charley Crockett (2026)
Clovis — Charley Crockett (2026)
Diamonds — Waylon Jennings (2026)
EPs and singles

You Are My Sunshine - Jamey Johnson, Twiggy Ramirez & Shooter Jennings (2013)
Don't Wait Up (for George) - Shooter Jennings (2014)
Killing The Blues' - Billy Ray Cyrus (2014)
Belding's Blues - Dennis Haskins (2014)
The Most Sensible Thing - Angry Grandpa (2015)
Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys - Lukas Nelson & Shooter Jennings (2015)
A Civilized Hell - Lukas Nelson & Shooter Jennings (2016)
Hey Mr. Nashville — Charley Crockett (2024)
Bad Company — Charley Crockett (2025)
Mixing credits

Tenderness (Album) - Duff McKagan (2019)
Sinners, Saints & Fools - Brandi Carlile (2021)
The Immortal Hellbound Glory: Nobody Knows You (Album) - Hellbound Glory (2022)
Edge of Forever — Jessi Colter (2023)

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Jennings has won four awards from seven nominations.