THE “OUTLAW” QUEEN
∗ Born Mirriam Johnson on May 25, 1943 in Phoenix; mother was a Pentecostal minister, father was a race car driver
∗ Began singing and playing piano at age 11 at her mother’s church; entered Phoenix area talent contents as a teen; graduated from Mesa High School in 1961
∗ Met Duane Eddy, who produced her first recordings; married him in 1962 and moved to Los Angeles; toured with Eddy, mostly in Europe; divorced in 1968
∗ Returned to Phoenix area where she met future country legend Waylon Jennings; married him in 1969 in her mother’s church; moved to Nashville
∗ Changed her name to Jessi Colter, after her great-great-great uncle, who was in Jesse James’ outlaw gang; released debut album A Country Star Is Born in 1970 – but like Waylon felt she didn’t fit in with the predominant “Nashville Sound”
∗ Released I’m Jessi Colter album in 1975, which fused rock, pop, country, folk styles; was critically acclaimed and #1 on the country chart, propelled by singles “I’m Not Lisa” (#1 country, #5 pop) and “Whatever Happened To Blue Eyes” (#5 country)
∗ Released album Jessi in 1976, considered by critics to be her best and reaching #4 on the country chart, producing the hit “It’s Morning (And I Still Love You)”; released Diamond In The Rough album, which also hit #4 in 1976
∗ Featured with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Tompall Glaser on the milestone 1975 album Wanted! The Outlaws – the first country album certified platinum (1 million copies sold); included the single “Suspicious Minds” (#2 country), a duet with Jennings
∗ Gave birth in 1979 to Waylon Albright Jennings, nicknamed “Shooter,” who is now a country and rock musician
∗ Released Leather And Lace duets album with Waylon Jennings in 1981; included the medley “The Wild Side Of Life” and “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” (#10 country); Stevie Nicks wrote the title track, but decided to keep it for herself (which resulted in a #6 pop hit with Don Henley in 1981)
∗ Toured with Waylon from time to time but mostly stayed home raising Shooter, and later nursing Waylon during his drug addiction and medical problems
∗ Referenced in Hank Williams Jr.’s 1981 #1 country hit, “All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down” (“And Waylon’s staying home and loving Jessi more these days”)
∗ Moved to Chandler in 2001, where Waylon died in 2002 of diabetes complications
∗ Released Out of the Ashes album in 2006; released The Psalms album in 2017 featuring songs based on Bible passages that she recorded in 2007
∗ Published “An Outlaw and a Lady: A Memoir of Music, Life with Waylon, and the Faith That Brought Me Home” in 2017
∗ Currently lives on “a ranch in Arizona”
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