Shooter Jennings and Willie Nelson Team Up to Honor Red Dirt Legend Jason Boland
TAGS: Shooter Jennings, Jason Boland, Willie Nelson, Flatland Cavalry, Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Great Divide, Stoney LaRue, Lloyd Maines, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Billy Bob’s Texas, Boone Pickens Stadium,
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There’s no better day to drop a song called “When I’m Stoned” than 4/20, and Shooter Jennings knew exactly what he was doing. The country outlaw has released his cover of Jason Boland’s beloved track, bringing in Willie Nelson for the ride and delivering one of the more meaningful tributes in recent Red Dirt memory.
“When I’m Stoned” has deep roots. It first appeared on Boland’s 2002 live record ‘Live and Lit at Billy Bob’s Texas’ before getting the studio treatment on 2009’s ‘Somewhere in the Middle.’ It’s the kind of song that defines a catalog, and Jennings knows its weight better than most.
Jennings doesn’t mince words about why he signed on: “I’ve known Jason Boland for more than half my life. I saw him playing songs in bars. I opened for him the day we got thrown in jail in Baylor County for weed.” That history makes this more than a cover. It’s a genuine act of friendship, and the addition of Willie Nelson gives it exactly the gravitas it deserves.
The release marks the second entry in the Hellponies Archives series, named after Boland’s devoted fanbase. Flatland Cavalry launched the project late last year with their take on “Somewhere Down In Texas.” The series is quietly building into something special for the Red Dirt community.
Boland has had a significant run lately. Jason Boland & The Stragglers dropped the Lloyd Maines-produced LP ‘The Last Kings Of Babylon’ last year, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, and he headlined the inaugural four-night sold-out Boys from Oklahoma run at Boone Pickens Stadium alongside Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Great Divide, and Stoney LaRue. Jennings called him “a diamond,” and the evidence keeps stacking up.