Waylon Jennings Billboard Promises More New Music in 2026
The 2025 archive album from Waylon Jennings called Songbird was so well-received, some named it their Album of the Year. It also ended up charting on Billboard’s Country Albums chart at #17—quite a remarkable feat for a new album of old music.
Usually when you get a posthumous “previously unheard” release, it’s full of odds and sods, what was left on the cutting house floor, and unfinished business. In truth, that’s not an entirely unfair characterization of the songs Songbird. It just happens to be that Waylon Jennings was such a musical beast back in the day, his seconds and scratch tracks are better than most artists’ featured singles. Son Shooter Jennings also did a great job curating and finishing the selections.
When Shooter first announced he’d stumbled upon releasable, unheard tracks from his father, he didn’t promise just one album, but three of them coming from the vault. Well it looks like #2 will be on the way some time in 2026.
A couple of weeks ago, a billboard appeared along Interstate 10 in Southern California just outside of Palm Springs with the visage of Waylon, the word “Diamonds,” and the year 2026. This was around the time the Stagecoach Festival happened in Indio. It’s probably a safe bet this is the first sign of the second release from the Waylon Jennings vault.
At this point we don’t know much more than “Diamonds” is likely the title of the album or the first single from it (or both), and that it will likely arrive in 2026. But according to Dillon Weldon who spoke to Waylon grandson Struggle Jennings about it, Struggle said to expect the album to be a little rowdier, and a little more Outlaw than Songbird was.
Since Songbird came out in October of 2025, perhaps the Fall of 2026 would be a good time for the second release. Either way, it appears we’ll be getting more new old Waylon Jennings music sooner than later.
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May 16, 2026 @ 10:16 am
It’s interesting that for a performer to have this much interest some 20 plus years after their death speaks
Volumes to the state of modern country in that mothballed material is more anticipated than anything out of the latest mainstream releases. Of course, Jim Reeves has songs chart into the early 80s and he died in 1964. Waylon Joins a very small group of performers that were successful even after their deaths (the aforementioned Jim Reeves, Hank Sr,, Patsy Cline, Elvis, Johnny Cash and Keith Whitley to name a few).
I’m looking forward to see what gems had been unearthed on this album.
May 16, 2026 @ 10:31 am
“They’d rather give you a song than diamonds or gold.” Songbird was a little softer than I would have liked and was hoping for some rowdier Waylon the next time so I’m looking forward to this one.