Life & Legacy Of Will Jennings Celebrated With Nashville Gathering

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Pictured (L-R): Vince Gill, Lilly Winwood, Kerry Marx, Mark Beckett, Amy Grant, Wendy Moten, Emmylou Harris, Larry Paxton, Rodney Crowell and Katherine Marx. Photo: Amiee Stubbs Photography

Members of Nashville’s music community gathered at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ford Theater this week to celebrate the life of lauded songwriter Will Jennings, who passed away in September at the age of 80.

Jennings penned an enormous amount of beloved songs recorded by a wide range of iconic artists like Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Whitney Houston, Roy Orbison, B.B. King, Celine Dion and Tim McGraw to name a few.

The Celebration of Life reflected Jennings’ monumental contributions to music, featuring highlights of his career with personal testimonies from fellow songwriters, artists and friends. Artists who had worked alongside Jennings offered renditions of his classics that spanned decades. Special guest appearances and performances included Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Emmylou Harris, Wendy Moten, Steve Winwood and Lilly Winwood.

Jennings, a gifted songwriter with a profound impact on music spanning country to pop, crafted timeless songs that resonated across generations. Born in Kilgore, Texas, and raised in Tyler, he was deeply influenced by B.B. King’s blues but realized three-chord blues alone wouldn’t sustain a career. After earning degrees in poetry, he became an Associate Professor of English and French literature at the University of Wisconsin. Ultimately, his passion for music led him to Nashville, where music publisher Lance Freed signed him to a deal in 1974. In 2023, Freed, All Clear Music and Fuji Music Group acquired full rights to Jennings’ entire catalog.

“On behalf of everyone at Sheltered Music, we have gathered among some of the industry’s top talent to recognize and celebrate Will’s incredible life and legacy,” said Darrell Franklin, SVP at Sheltered Music Publishing. “Will wasn’t just a master of words, but he wrote songs for the common man. He understood that language and spoke to their hearts. His work will undoubtedly continue to inspire songwriters and music lovers for generations to come.”

Read Jennings’ full obituary here.

LB Cantrell
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