If you love the Dukes of Hazzard and Waylon Jennings, this is your episode! Our host, Sue Bonzell visits Cooter’s Place in Nashville, TN – home of the most Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia you’ve ever seen! She’ll catch up with Whey Jennings (grandson of country legend, Waylon Jennings) beside the General Lee. Then she’ll meet with Country Pop Artist, Caleb Seth at Sam Ash Music in Madison, TN
Sue Bonzell 00:03
It’s the open country show where the heart of Nashville matches thrilling adventures with rising country artists. I’m your host Sue Bonzell. Join us as we explore the vibrant Nashville area alongside talented musicians combining exhilarating escapades with exclusive interviews and energetic live performances. Each week we dive into the captivating world of country music, showcasing the next generation of artists who are poised to make their mark on the industry. Let’s get it started. This week, I’m checking out cooters place in Nashville and all of the Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia. Plus I’m meeting up with Whey Jennings. Next up, I’m back at Sam ash music to chat with rising country pop artists. Caleb Seth okay, let’s hit it
Whey Jennings 01:05
just a good old boy. Never mean beats all you never saw Ben in trouble with a loan since the day they was born.
Sue Bonzell 01:17
We are add cooters place in Nashville. I am thrilled to be here with Whey Jennings. First off, we got to talk about some some pretty cool stuff that happened to you just recently. So you’re you’re at the opry you’re there for a show to enjoy the show. Right?
Whey Jennings 01:31
I guess I was incognito. I thought, well, you
Sue Bonzell 01:34
don’t really have an incognito look.
Whey Jennings 01:36
Well, no, not really. I guess not, I guess
Sue Bonzell 01:39
- So Chris Jansen is on stage, or
Whey Jennings 01:42
made it through the whole show intermission came. And then I turned around. And it was like a lot of people to take pictures or took pictures with a bunch of people. And then outcome. Christiansen who I’ve never met before in my life, but on a great show. And he walked over the side of stage and he pointed at me my name shook my went to shake my hand and he’s yanked me up on stage. And I was like, I wasn’t planning on that at all. So it’s kind of crazy.
Sue Bonzell 02:03
Now was that a first time on the Grand Ole Opry? Stage? Yep.
Whey Jennings 02:07
Yes, it was. Yeah. And I did not think that was gonna be how I did that.
Sue Bonzell 02:11
Yeah, you kind of unconventional way. Right? Yeah. Well,
Whey Jennings 02:14
you don’t get on the awkward stage unless you’re invited everybody.
Sue Bonzell 02:17
Well, you were sort of invited. Oh, in a roundabout sort of roundabout sort of way. Yeah. Your grandfather Waylon Jennings, or your uncle shooter Jennings tell us about growing up with with that as a legacy?
Whey Jennings 02:29
Well, you know, it’s just just like growing up with any other legacy. You know, me, our family, businesses music, and we take it seriously. And we do the best we can. When my grandfather left a great path for us to follow. We could choose to follow that path or veer off that path and do our own thing. And of course, I’m sort of on the sidewalk next to it. I just love I love his music. I love my grandmother’s music. I love all of his friends music. That’s literally the only thing I’ve gravitated to my whole life. You know, it was old country music because it’s just the way I live. When did you
Sue Bonzell 02:59
kind of figure out? Okay, yeah, you know, what I kind of want to follow in the family business.
Whey Jennings 03:03
Well, I didn’t think I was going to for the longest time, I worked on a cotton farm for about 10 years. And then my mother asked me to do something with music. And I said, Okay, I’ll try to do it. And I went out there, and I tried to do it. And I’ve been doing it ever since I did it wrong for a lot of years. But I’m doing pretty good. Now,
Sue Bonzell 03:20
what do you mean by wrong,
Whey Jennings 03:21
I didn’t have any clue what I was doing. I was like, okay, so what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna go out here, and I’m just gonna book a bunch of shows, be a cover band start with, I’m gonna write a bunch of songs, and then I’m just gonna start putting my songs in and taking his songs out. And that’s what I did. For the longest time, I was, you know, all wrapped up in rock and roll left. For a long time, the party, the party meant more to me than anything else at that point in my life. And now I’m at a point in my life, where I realized that was the wrong path and been sober for about four years, and I’ve been putting my nose to the grindstone and get it all done.
Sue Bonzell 03:53
I’d love to ask you about what faith has done for you in your life. Why don’t you kind of turn around for you tell us about that in your life now?
Whey Jennings 04:01
Well, I’ve always had faith in God, you know, it was just it’s always been like a inner inward battle for me. You know, I mean, like, when I was really, really young with church a lot as a kid and fell asleep in the church. As I got older, I started playing football, you know, and I still had this good spirit to me and everything, but I got hurt playing football, and back then in school, they had just no pass no play rule. So whenever I couldn’t play anymore, I was like, Well, no play, no pass. And that was the stupidest mistake I could ever made. So I started hanging out with the wrong crowd started doing drugs and drinking at that point I started I was I’d always read the Bible because my mom always had a Bible opening in the house. But at that point, I started trying to pick it apart and started looking at it from the other side, the wrong side and trying to prove the Bible wrong. And I’m telling you this right now you do as much drugs as I did, and you dig to the Bible as hard as you did. I did you can prove your own vision is not wrong. Oh. So as I got older, and I got sober, and I started reading for the right reasons. I realized that I was really blessed by God. He saved my life. Because I should have died a lot of times. He saved my life and brought me to do something. So I’m trying to do the best I can. What again?
Sue Bonzell 05:08
You sound a lot like Waylon Jennings.
Whey Jennings 05:11
Yeah, I just talked to somebody about it. And Longo was like, you know, what’s it like being the grandson of Waylon Jennings, I said, it’s probably a lot different than being Waylon Jennings. Waylon Jennings was Waylon Jennings, and that’s all you had to compare Waylon Jennings to was Waylon Jennings. That’s right. And all he ever did was beat himself and he did the best he could what he had. That’s literally all I’m trying to do. I’m trying to do the best I can what I got to be the best me I can be. And then nothing about me fake, you know, I mean, if you see Waylon Jennings and me, that’s probably because he’s my grandfather. You know, I mean, but this is who I am. This is the way I live my life. You know, and it’s, I can’t help what I sound like of who I am. Because I don’t know how to be fake. You know, I don’t know how to do it be me. We like who you are. Like me a lot more days than I used to. All right.
Sue Bonzell 05:55
You know, obviously, you’ve played a lot of Waylon Jennings songs. What would be your favorite Waylon Jennings song? Oh, I
Whey Jennings 06:04
don’t like I’ll tell you what, I was listening to my grandfather my whole life. Not very many people can stop me when it comes to Waylon Jennings song, it’s never been able to happen. And all the years I’ve been alive, and I can’t find one that I don’t like, not even because he’s my grandfather is because he’s a great musician. Absolutely. I’m not gonna let me be it his grandson and stop me from being one of his biggest fans as I am. I love my grandfather’s music. He did a great job. I love the simplicity of it. And I love the complexity of it. You know, he’s just unique in every way.
Sue Bonzell 06:37
Do you have got some new music coming out? Is that correct? Oh, yeah, it’s
Whey Jennings 06:40
been coming out all year. Okay, well,
Sue Bonzell 06:41
tell us what you got. Well, we
Whey Jennings 06:43
got a new EP coming out. It’s called just before the dawn. It’s the most powerful EP I’ve ever put out, sat down with a bunch of friends of mine at different times. And we wrote a bunch of songs, and they all kind of hit home. The first one we put out was wild child. And it’s a song about yours truly. About how I used to be a wild child like a freight train running you know, I met a woman fell in love changed my life. And now I’m just you know, it’s a good damn thing and so boys settling down and says right there in the song by by settling down I mean, not out there party no more. I still bring the party by the way. I’m very good at what I do. I come in and I make sure everybody has a good time. Good. So don’t ever worry about that. Yeah, that was the first one and then the second one put out what’s called old country song. He’s like, I got this song. I’m writing about the person and he said, ain’t nothing wrong with a possum song. We probably ought to play off it, we’re gonna go to the next verse gonna be somebody else in the next verse is gonna be somebody else. And we chose Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings and the way the lyrics flow, I saw it in my head that we should film this video at a pool table, so we can pass it back and forth, you know, yeah, like a game of pool. And then the next one that came out was called Daredevil. And Daredevil, I wrote for my wife, my beautiful wife Tara, and she’s she’s really been a strong force in my life. And the next one is my favorite song on the EP. And it’s a song that I believe is going to change lives just before the dawn. And I hope you all enjoyed that video because we I get shot in it by the way didn’t realize I was going to have such a crazy effect on people but a couple people I showed the videos to and I turned around and crying I was like we grind about where you got shot. Really good shot. Because that’s the direction I’m trying to go my music now I want to change lives with young music. I don’t want to just bring a party and sing songs about you know, just anything. I want to sing songs about things that matter about God, I want to sing about success stories. And by success story. I mean people who knocked themselves down to the point they were rock bottom and digging a hole and they got back up on their feet and they climb back up to the top of that mountain and scream victory you know I mean that’s the kind of music I want to do and that’s kind of music I’m gonna do for the rest of my life.
Sue Bonzell 09:09
That’s the power of country music right? Yes ma’am.
Whey Jennings 09:16
Match sugar before you get yourself all head up. Thanks just happened to be different. I used to be like a freight train running through the floor. Tiles coming out Oh, nutmeg a Wildcat oh the Brown got a wife and a baby. Peace of mind and a little it’s pretty it’s a good thing. So both settling down
Sue Bonzell 09:48
or truth.
Whey Jennings 09:50
The truth do you want to play? Yeah, sure. Truth, the Truth. I like truth. Okay, I’m pretty truthful guy.
Sue Bonzell 09:57
How’s it feel?
Whey Jennings 10:00
Have you ever accidentally hit something or someone with your car? I got a great driving record. Got a lot of speeding tickets. But I’m a great driver. Were the worst physical pain you’ve ever experienced. That’s easy toothache really, really do things worse physical pain ever experience of okay
Sue Bonzell 10:23
no like major accidents or broken bones or
Whey Jennings 10:26
broken bones? No, no how I’ve never broken bone because I am not a safe guy. We do know how. Oh, God bless you, God. Yeah. So as long as you did right, by God, you will never break a bone. It says, What’s the most common misconception about you? Probably that I’m an outlaw. I’m really a very, very God oriented man. I’m a family man. My family comes first. God comes first. My family comes second. I live my life from my family. So I am not an outlaw anymore.
Sue Bonzell 10:58
There you go. There you go. We got the real facts now. How do you feel about kind of a new outlaw country like sound that’s happening right now like Zach, Brian and Chris Stapleton and
Whey Jennings 11:10
replays for all music. You know, me, I’m really big Chris able to finish voice. Maybe I haven’t heard much, Zach. Brian. I do know that he’s a real outlaw. I just read in the news. He just got in trouble with the law. Jamie Johnson, yes, top of mark for me. But you know, I like everybody’s music. My whole deal is, is that I was always on this train when I was younger, where I was going to be mad at people for making their art because it wasn’t the art that I thought they should be making. I’m not that guy anymore. Everybody has their own art that they’re making. You know, I mean, and there’s a place for all of it. What I should have been mad at this whole time was that there should still be a place for old country. And it’s like they’re trying to get rid of that. And I’m really, really against getting rid of our history. You know, I mean, our heritage, if you start tearing down stuff, people forget about it. Then they just do the same things over again. He’s that’s just where I’m at in my life. I do not hate anybody. I love everybody for the art they make. I’ve got nothing but love in my heart for just about everybody.
Sue Bonzell 12:07
Any, any collaborations you’d like to do?
Whey Jennings 12:10
Oh, I’d like to collaborate with Chris Jensen.
Sue Bonzell 12:12
Have you just did?
Whey Jennings 12:16
Jeremy Johnson,
Sue Bonzell 12:18
okay, no, that is something that I want to see. I’d also like to collaborate with
Whey Jennings 12:21
my family, I’d like to give all my family together wants to do something, you know, one of these days, okay, but it needs to be at the right time. We’ve all got to be in the right state of mind. It’s got to be for the right reason. It’s got to be the right project. So in order for all the stars are landed, I need to learn to do the collaborations I want to, I’m gonna need a lot of help and the good Lord above, and a lot of help from people around me
Sue Bonzell 12:42
that well, we’re gonna look forward to all of those things.
Whey Jennings 12:45
Well, yeah, they’re all gonna happen. I just manifested it.
Sue Bonzell 12:49
You just said it out loud. This is what happens on my show, too. We just, you know, we say things and then stuff just happens.
Whey Jennings 12:53
That’s why it works. It works. You know, man, I feel like I’m a very blessed man. God has put a lot of people in my life that needs to be in my life. And he’s done a lot of things for me.
Sue Bonzell 13:02
All right, these are cowboy wisdom. So these are just some little cards for inspiration. And so far, I’ve had pretty good luck for like the people that pick them, like kind of like meat something so we’ll see. See what it means for you.
Whey Jennings 13:15
Okay, see your cowboy wisdom. Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest. It’s about who walked into your life and said, I’m here for you. And everybody’s in my life. I was gonna say you have some people like that in your life. I got a bunch of wonderful people in my life. You know, I’d really do a lot of them stuck by me whenever they didn’t have to.
Sue Bonzell 13:35
Thank you so much way for being here and answering my questions and really appreciate you. Thank you so much. We’re at Sam ash, just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, and Caleb Seth is with me. Welcome, Caleb.
Caleb Seth 13:56
Thank you for having me over here. Okay, now, you’ve
Sue Bonzell 13:58
had a lot of different influences as far as different styles of music that you like, right? Yeah. How did you how did you kind of land on country,
Caleb Seth 14:06
because I’m from a very small town. And as you know, I grew up here and a lot of country. And it just, I felt like it fit my voice. It just felt fit my tone and my, like, what I wanted to go for. I liked the live sound in country. And I like that better than like popping stuff. So
Sue Bonzell 14:22
how old were you when you first started playing music?
Caleb Seth 14:25
I was like, 12 I wanted to I wanted to play the drums first and then I got on piano and I couldn’t stop from there. It was it was over what after that?
Sue Bonzell 14:32
Any Do you Do you play any guitars or anything like that? Yeah, like guitar
Caleb Seth 14:36
too. But it’s it’s not my, like main instrument.
Sue Bonzell 14:39
So so it’s piano pianos. I like it. I like it. What’s happening? What are your plans here in the next couple of months?
Caleb Seth 14:46
So I’m gonna be dropping a lot of songs in the next few months, like maybe every two weeks or so. It’s gonna be dropping some music on the people. Seeing where it goes. I feel like these tracks are are some really good songs so we’ll see where it goes. Hmm, I just love some fishing drink and piercing back and listening to them good. Oh conscious songs dama granddad so good. See you here. You feel he was 10 to see a messed up place to be.
Sue Bonzell 15:23
I really liked your sound and it’s kind of, you know, you’ve got the country vibe. We kind of have a little bit of that pop sound too. That’s really popular right now. And I think it’s I think it’s resonating obviously with your fans and everything.
Caleb Seth 15:35
Pushing the DNC red flag was me. Because you will get burned slacker high school, but I was playing safe. So I took a little risk on your tax and trace you while
Sue Bonzell 15:55
you had to pick maybe a country artists that you would like to open up for? Who would be who would be top of the list?
Caleb Seth 16:02
Right now, honestly, walling?
Sue Bonzell 16:05
Okay, yeah. I would like to open for Morgan Wallen also, and I don’t play any music. So. Exactly, exactly. No, you were adopted when you were younger, seven years old.
Caleb Seth 16:17
I got split up when I was young, you know, my parents were kind of going through things. And then we me and my siblings got split up. And they came down, my aunt found us and like reunited us together. And she she ended up adopting us after a while. And then that’s how I started getting into the music because my cousin, he bought me a little $20 keyboard. And then I started playing it. And like once I touched it, I never stopped seriously. So he he just got me a piano off Craigslist, and I started playing. Look at that.
Sue Bonzell 16:46
You got the dream and you gotta want it. That’s right. That’s right. And you’ve worked hard so far, and you got a lot ahead of you, which I’m excited to see where you go. And and what’s next for you. I want to play a little game with you. Okay, you’re ready for a little game? Sure. Like he’s not sure. Okay, mother, nobody’s sure about this game of truth or truth. Having stacked the deck or anything, so you can just go ahead and pick whichever card you like.
Caleb Seth 17:12
What’s your biggest prank you’ve ever played on someone? Are you a prank guy? Not really a prankster? Okay, maybe just a simple little boo around the corner when they come around the corner and you shock them? That’s about it. pretty laid back when it comes to those things. I don’t really like to get pranked either.
Sue Bonzell 17:31
Anybody praying to you? Yeah, I’ve
Caleb Seth 17:32
been praying before like, you know, ice in your shirt and stuff like that. I don’t I don’t like pranks that much.
Sue Bonzell 17:37
Okay, fair enough. We know we know now. No pranks.
Caleb Seth 17:41
What’s your most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? Oh, okay. I’ve definitely had some embarrassing moments. But I remember one time, like in middle school, I think in art class, my pants go completely down. And I was embarrassed. And it wasn’t something I did on purpose, but in front of the whole class with everything. So that was pretty embarrassing. But that’s the first thing that came to mind.
Sue Bonzell 18:04
And that’s kind of like, like when you’re a junior high, too. It’s like the worst.
Caleb Seth 18:07
Yeah, exactly.
Sue Bonzell 18:10
And were there any like, is there like anybody you liked in class? What you were like? Yeah, there’s a few girls in there. So it was embarrassing, but everybody blew it off. They didn’t really pay too much. Okay, good. Well, we will try not to remember that as you become famous and you know, put it in Oh, wait, we just did. Now it’s out there. Everybody knows about it’s okay. You recovered? Well. What’s your cowboy wisdom?
Caleb Seth 18:37
The way I see it? If you want the rainbow you got to put up with the rain
Sue Bonzell 18:41
and who said that
Caleb Seth 18:42
Dolly Parton. That’s a really good one.
Sue Bonzell 18:46
That was perfect for our country music too. So there you go. Well, I want to thank you so much for being here today. We wish you all the best with your career you’re going to be following Caleb Seth on all the socials and you got a little bit of music on Spotify too. So we’ll be checking that out. Appreciate that. Join me Sue Bonzell every week for interviews and adventures with rising country artists on up in country it takes us actually you know Texas Tech Sylvania.
Whey Jennings 19:31
Yeah, move to the venue now I’m gonna text Oh, you got really short really quick.
Sue Bonzell 19:37
I know right. 10 feet tall and bulletproof. Here at cooters place in Nashville with the generally
Whey Jennings 19:49
Yeah, they told me I take it home. Okay, I’m just gonna do this. Get one of these that
Sue Bonzell 19:59
day. Yeah, that’s nice.
Whey Jennings 20:02
Have you ever been fired from a job? That’s any better. I’ve been five years, but I can’t tell their story they’re doing like I want a job interview. Have you ever had a run in with the law? I quit.
Sue Bonzell 20:25
Yeah, that’s awesome. Thank you. Thank you so much. Really appreciate you.
Whey Jennings 20:31
Make sure you cut out all the goofy stuff
20:39
Wait, she’s good Pete
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