New Single: Waylon Jennings – Saturday Night Special
Shooter Jennings has released a previously unheard recording by his father Waylon Jennings, offering another glimpse into the forthcoming archival album ‘Diamonds’
Waylon Jennings – Saturday Night Special
Label: Son of Jessi / Thirty Tigers
Release date: October 27, 2026
A previously unfinished recording by outlaw country legend Waylon Jennings has finally been completed and released. The song, Saturday Night Special, was written by Lee Clayton, who also penned the Waylon Jennings classic Ladies Love Outlaws. Released on October 27, 2026, it is the third single from the upcoming album ‘Diamonds’.
Four-time Grammy Award-winning producer Shooter Jennings discovered the recording while exploring his father’s personal archives. Although the original performance had never been completed, Shooter believed the existing recording provided a strong enough foundation to finish the song.
Members of Waylon’s longtime backing band, The Waylors, contributed to the completed version, alongside harmonica player Mickey Raphael, known for his longstanding association with Willie Nelson and his earlier work with Waylon Jennings.
According to Shooter, Saturday Night Special required more additional work than most of the recordings included in the project. His intention was to preserve the character of the original performance while bringing the unfinished song to completion.
‘Diamonds’ follows 2025’s ‘Songbird’ and represents the second instalment in a planned trilogy of previously unreleased Waylon Jennings recordings.
The twelve-track collection also includes the title track featuring Glen Campbell on guitar, while Jessi Colter appears on two recordings, including a version of J.J. Cale’s Same Old Blues.
The album will be released on November 13, 2026, on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital download through Son of Jessi/Thirty Tigers. Streaming availability follows on December 11.
Website: https://www.waylonjennings.com/