The author kept the retelling of the rich history of these beloved musicians new. They weave a creative story & game me a new appreciation for such great talents.

This was a very interesting book. I have always liked country music and enjoy listening to Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and the like. This book provided such amazing insight into these artists and many others. I loved all of the quotes from musicians as well. There was so much information in this book, I feel like I want to reread it to make sure I did not miss anything. I also love all of the newer musicians that were discussed such as Brandi Carlile. The fact that the book goes up to present day makes the story of these musicians feel as complete as possible. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone even those who might not think they like country music. This book might change their minds.

I had high hopes for this book as a casual lover of outlaw country music, but I felt that the organization made it difficult to follow. At times it was chronological, and other times it jumped around without much context. Perhaps better for someone who has a deep knowledge of the Nashville scene and won't need the background information.

I’ve been looking forward to this book for a few months now and I’m so excited I got the chance for an advance copy! I grew up listening to the Highwaymen. I listened to that tape (yes, tape) until the tape was completely stretched out. Say what you will about country, but there’s no doubt that those men had immense talent. They truly did pave the way for music as we see it today. I’ve also been lucky enough to see the products of the change they created in the industry by attending the Outlaw Country Cruise. I met tons of bands on that cruise and had a great time. I should probably add that I did it sober too, in case there is a question. It was really great to see the history of such music icons and how they have paved the way for other music innovators like Chris Stapleton, Colter Wall, and Ryan Bingham. I’ve seen all of them before and will be seeing more of them throughout the year. This book made me feel like I was a fly on the wall watching history happen. There was only one small part I could have done without. There was about a five page section that got very political, so I just skipped those pages. Obviously, at my age, I’m not blind to the fact that music can be very political. However, I don’t care what a musician’s political leanings, or race for that matter, are. And to be honest, I’m so sick of it being shoved into every part of life. I just wanted to read about an iconic time in music history. Other than that though, this book was a great addition to my collection. I’m actually purchasing it for my husband. And don’t be scared off by the high page count! 25% of it is the Works Cited!

Huge thanks to Hachette Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

This book was a bit of an odd read. The author did lots of research, conducted a lot of interviews, and demonstrates a deep level of knowledge about the main singers, but I still finished it feeling like it was a surface level telling of the Outlaw country movement. I never felt like I got anything about beyond platitudes about Willie, Waylon, Kris, and Johnny and their impact. A typical comment read like gushing fanhood, instead of a deeper look at what they changed. Brief mentions of "real life" or authenticity were interspersed, but not many deep looks into what specifically changed. There were several mentions about their willingness to buck Nashville recording procedures, or how much they hated the suits on Music Row, but it never felt like anything more than canned statements.

The chapters on current Outlaw musicians (and truthfully, the main musicians) sometimes veered into what felt like a list of facts, instead of a story. Very few people in this book felt real, despite the fact that they are all real people. Again, it's not like their wasn't a lot of information. That's some of my favorite parts of the book - I felt like I learned a lot of factoids, but didn't feel like I learned who these people are, or the importance and impact of the Outlaw movement. I read it excited to buy a copy for my brother after it came out, now I'm wondering if I will.

Well Researched Book Does Exactly What The Description Says It Does. You know how at times you read a book's description and then you read the book and you want to know what the writer of the description was smoking when they wrote it and if you can have some of it, because the two were *nothing* alike? Yeah... this isn't that book.

Here, you get *exactly* what the description (at least as of the writing of this review in the pre-dawn hours of May 12, 2024 along Florida's Atlantic Coast) tells you you're going to get: A well documented historical look at the lives of the Highwaymen - Waylon Jennings - where the narrative starts on the fateful night that he missed the plane on "The Day The Music Died" -, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. We see each of their origins, we see how their careers progressed individually, and we see the fateful moment they all came together for a few legendary years. And in the end, we see how their lives and their music have impacted Country Music through the years, with a particular focus on 2010-current alt-country / Americana acts like Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Shooter Jennings, Brandie Carlisle, and others. Again, exactly what the description says we're going to get.

Overall the writing is well done - there's a lot of facts and a lot of quotes, but it never really feels like dense academic oriented text or a philosophical treatise, while still not being quite "conversational". Yes, the focus on certain acts and the clear derision of others in the end is perhaps quite divisive - even much of the "Bro Country" the author clearly despises cite many of the Highwaymen as direct influences, and yes, it can be heard in their sounds as well - but again, we knew from the description which modern acts this text was going to highlight. So take that as you will and make your choice to read or avoid this text knowing exactly that - you know up front exactly where this is going.

Very much recommended.

This book is a deep look into the outlaw country genre and it's founders and current lineup. This is also a book that I would have purchased for my dad the SECOND it went on sale because this is the music I was raised on.

Waylon, Johnny, Willie - these names NEED no last name. These were as prevalent in my childhood home as any of my sisters.

This is an excellent tale of these wild men and how their influence remains today.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is in my wheelhouse.

I grew up listening to Outlaw Country with my grandparents and getting this inside look at its inception and legacy really hit me with all the feels.

Brian Fairbanks takes the reader back to before outlaw country was a thing--- to see the motivations and moments that led Waylon, Willie and the boys to take that leap into creating their own brand of content. From making what could be inside baseball moments with recording studios and producers entertaining to showing us the depths that addiction drove these men to at points in their journey-- the reader gets the full gamut of the ups and downs of changing the music scene.

I loved getting a closer feel of Waylon and Willie and Kris and Johnny. The anecdotes helped give humanity to the larger than life Highwaymen I grew up listening to on the radio.

I also really enjoyed the final few chapters. Fairbanks explores their legacy in ways that I hadn't thought about and it helped the book come full circle.

Having lived in Nashville and met these legends I loved reading Fairbank’s book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

This book was very well researched but let me feeling let down. I felt there was too much emphasis on the what the author calls "The New Highwaymen" and did not focus enough on the lives of the actual Highwaymen. It was as though not much happened in their lives in the 90s right up until Johnny Cash died, but Kris and Willie are still around but no mention of what they are up to now or their thoughts on the next generation. The author pre-supposes that I already know the amazing exploits of Sturgill Simpson when i dont even know why he is relevant to this book. While the author name-checks interviews in the acknowledgments many of the quotes from the "main characters" seem to be re-hashed from archival material with little added to that with ne material

This book is well researched and written. It gives a history of the evolution of Country Music. I was interested in reading this book as I grew up in a household that listened and played country music in the 1950s and 1960s. The initial focus of the books is an overview biography of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson and how each of them had an impact on the evolution of country music. The last few sections deal with the evolution of country music after them of which I am not a fan, but it was interesting reading. Overall, a good read for those interested in country music.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.

As long time country music fan, I couldn't wait to read this. Waylon and Willie were and are amazing in their craft. Reading this books brought some more insight into the lives of some of my favorite musicians ever.

My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for this advanced copy of this look at the rise of country music and the outlaws who played outside of the rules, and changed musical history.

I was a top 40 kid for a long time, so country music was not my thing. Maybe I would hear some when watching Waylon Jennings narrate the Duke Boys adventures in Dukes of Hazzard. Willie Nelson had a song on top 40, so I knew that, but he was also on Miami Vice as a Texas Ranger(?), and maybe I saw a movie on HBO. Kris Kristofferson was married to Barbra Streisand, at least that album cover made me think so, and was an actor of movies I didn't care about, until Blade, and later Heaven's Gate when I saw it in school. Johnny Cash was Johnny Cash, everyone knew Johnny Cash. Until I became more interested in music, these were just people, not influences, trailblazers who all got lost somehow, but with music, love and each other found their way back. Legendary outlaws who changed music, even as the industry tried to grind them down. Willie, Waylon, and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country Music Forever by Brian Fairbanks is a magisterial look at these men, the industry that tried to chain them down, their own destructive impulses, and the acolytes who continue to sing music that is more than about $80,000 trucks and craft beer, but about people, feelings and fears.

The book is broken into almost essay like chapters, starting with sections introducing our main players, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. Fairbanks start tat their beginnings, and shows that even though the men had different upbringings, in different locals, they shared more then a creative spark. All had problems with fathers, all had demons that seemed to be chasing them, all had problems with monogamy, and playing by the rules. All took on the persona of the outlaw, for some an easy role, for others maybe an acting game. All had pain that haunted them, Waylon Jennings especially for joking with his mentor Buddy Holly before Holly and the music died in a plane crash. All got messed over by their labels, some winning in different ways. They all had highs, career highs, and substance highs, and in everyone but Willie almost periods of being forgotten. Until the world noticed them again.

One of the best music books I have read. Not just a fascinating look at four talented musicians, but an examination of the country music industry and its many, many problems. There are a lot of talented performers discussed here, so get ready to blow the budget on some vinyl. Fairbanks has done an incredible job researching and interviewing so many different voices telling the story of outlaw country, and what being a musician in the country music business is like. This is not a hagiography in any way. Fairbanks is honest about these men, their foibles, affairs, law breaking, addictions, and sometimes poor career choices. Very few books, especially dealing with country music ever wants to be this honest. One gets a real feeling for these people, one not found in authorized memoirs or fawning magazine profiles. Fairbanks also goes into the alt-country scene, and even more into the racism that is present in country music, from Charlie Pride having to apologize to his fans for being darker than they expected to many of the arguments that Beyoncé is hearing today. Women also are given a voice, with extended profiles of many who were influenced by the writing skills of these outlaw singers.

The writing is really good, a nice you are there feeling that never bogs down, never loses its focus, and even better like the songs these people sing is honest. One of the best books on music I have read. Incredibly interesting, with a warts and all telling that makes these men seem real and not musical gods. For anyone who like music this is a great book, and would make a great gift for Father's Day. Or a late Mother's Day, especially if one were to toss in a few albums.

Despite not being a huge country music fan, I grew up in a house with parents that were. I found this book so interesting and it actually gave me a stronger appreciation for the music.

As polarizing questions go, “Are you a country music fan?” is right up there with asking someone’s personal politics or religious views. Perhaps the reason that’s a loaded question is because Country Music is inextricably tied to both politics and religion. Despite what many people with an anti-country bias claim as a fact, Country Music is not a cohesive sound, or belief structure, or even a place.

"Willie, Waylon, and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country Music Forever" serves as a historical journey of one piece of the greater story of this genre, as told through the lives of the Outlaws then and now.

When Waylon Jennings’ gave up his seat on an ill-fated flight one blisteringly cold winter’s evening, he could hardly understand the way that decision would reverberate throughout the music world for decades. And such is the start of this fast-paced read, beginning on the “day the music died” and wrapping up in current day where the genre continues to grow and change.

Brian Fairbanks weaves together the Outlaw origin stories of Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, drawing the line to today's Alt-Country and Americana artists like Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Brandie Carlisle, and Jason Isbell.

From battling addiction to confronting record companies, ex-wives, and government agencies, the Outlaws forged their own path that often ran counter to the Nashville country music establishment musically, religiously, and politically.

As much as this is a historical text, the struggles of these rebel artists are as relevant in 2024 as they were in decades ago. Music, especially that which seeks to tell the tale of a nation and all its people, must have diverse voices represented - not just those living in their mansions on the hill.

"Willie, Waylon, and the Boys" is a must-read for anyone looking to explore the roots of country music and how a small group of misbehaving tumultuous trailblazers changed the course of American music.

I enjoyed this book very much! Everyone who knows me, knows I love country music and the idea that the past legends have made the folks who they are today is intriguing and interesting to me. I am so grateful for the early opportunity to read this one.

I received an advanced reader copy of the book Waylon, Willie and the Boys via Net Galley. My thanks to Net Galley, the author and the publisher.
I enjoyed this book which presents the rise, fall and rise again of four of the most influential singer/ songwriters and performers whose careers spanned Country and Western music history. It tells their stories of fighting the Nashville establishment of rhinestone cowboys,producers who tried to put them in a mold they would not fit, cold eyed executives whose main concern was profit not music or the soil in which great music grew. They are struggled to rise against the corporate music world, they struggled with women, drugs, booze and money. The rose to the heights and crashed and came back..
Brian Fairbanks chronicles it all, and does it in a readable, entertaining and moving history/ biography. The book is never dull and is a must for fans of C& W music.. Their music was and is the music of America, and these men were its singers.

I live in Texas, so how could I pass up the chance to read "Willie, Waylon, and the Boys." I've read Willie's "My Life," so I appreciated the refresher summary. I knew a bit about Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings as a fan of Kristofferson's and of Buddy Holly/Crickets/Jennings, but I appreciated the summaries on them as well as Johnny Cash's because all I knew was from the movie and the PBS country music docuseries. I suppose that's why I thought all four were close friends who collaborated whenever they had the chance. It turns out that money and the music industry machine were partially responsible for blowing up outlaw music to the rest of us who missed out on watching them perform live.

I have to mention that the collaborations I wanted to hear more about weren't even a footnote. That's Willie's and the boys' singing for Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. All but Kris did the commercials.

The last part about the modern day outlaws felt a bit rushed. There were a lot of references to bro-country, but that went over my head because I'm not familiar with those singers.

I picked this book because I love reading about people’s lives. I love country music and, even though these’s musicians were before my time, it was still interesting to read. I love that singers like Patsy Cline were included. My stepmom sings her songs every chance she gets. I would recommend this to anyone who loves country music or anyone that wants to know how things were back then.

An interesting read regarding some of the stories of the early start of the new wave of country music. Living near Fargo we have always heard about the tragic plane crash that took so many lives when the music died. A book that shows insight and one that was a good read. Easy to pick up and easy to put down. Would recommend.