Waylon Payne

Surviving the Music Industry

Waylon Payne is the son of country artist Sammie Smith ("Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Then You Walk In," Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again") and Jody Payne (Willie Nelson's long-time guitarist). It's safe to say that Waylon's childhood looks a little different than most. Living with his Aunt and Uncle at the age of 2 months till adulthood would be a foundation that would set the tone for religion, hard drugs, sexual abuse, but probably more important is understanding who he is. Now out on the road with Willie Nelson and the family, he learns acceptance. But until Hollywood became his next destination that would launch his career into film (Walk The Line, Crazy, Turnabout), introductions to Keith Gattis, Lucinda Williams, and more set the stage for country music in Los Angeles. Even though Blue Eyes, the Harlot, the Queer, the Pusher & Me is his most personal project yet, are there still things left unsaid? Waylon now is in recovery and celebrates sobriety by putting more of himself out there in his music. Hoping that it really helps the ones that need it the most.