It was during the 1975 Grammy Awards at the Uris Theater in New York City when two musical worlds unexpectedly collided — the British rock genius of John Lennon and the Texas outlaw spirit of Waylon Jennings.
According to Jennings, the meeting was filled with humor. He once recalled telling Lennon, “Man, you’re funny. I didn’t know you were funny. I thought you were some kind of mad guy.” Lennon shot back with equal wit: “People in England think you shoot folks.” The remark was a playful nod to Jennings’ reputation — including a notorious studio moment when he brought a pistol to a session, frustrated by what he considered unnecessary “pickup notes” in a recording.
What followed that brief encounter was something far more personal: a partially typewritten, partially handwritten letter from Lennon to Jennings.
In the letter, Lennon mistakenly addressed him as “Dear Wayland,” quickly correcting it in pen — “Waylon, sorry about that.” The informal correction alone captured Lennon’s charm. The note, slightly scattered in format, reflected Lennon’s casual style. He apologized for his typing and spelling at the end, further humanizing the exchange.
Lennon mentioned his 1973 song “Tight A$” from the album Mind Games, calling it “the hit,” even though it was never released as a single. He hinted that Jennings might consider recording it, writing suggestively that it “ain’t for someone else.”
For Jennings, the letter meant a great deal. In later interviews, he described Lennon as warm, funny, and surprisingly down-to-earth. “He wrote me this really nice letter… part of it was handwritten, part of it was typed,” Jennings remembered. Though the two never collaborated, they met again on a few occasions and shared mutual respect.
The letter eventually surfaced publicly and was sold at auction in 2014 for $7,500, years after Jennings’ death in 2002 and decades after Lennon’s tragic passing in 1980.
Interestingly, Jennings’ admiration for The Beatles predated their meeting. In 1966, he recorded a version of “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” while filming Nashville Rebel. In 1967, he also covered “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” on his album Love of the Common People. These interpretations revealed Jennings’ appreciation for songwriting beyond traditional country boundaries.
Looking back, the letter stands as more than memorabilia. It represents a moment when two artists from seemingly different musical universes found common ground — humor, respect, and a shared love of strong songwriting.
In an era often divided by genre, John Lennon and Waylon Jennings proved that great music recognizes no borders. And sometimes, a simple, imperfect letter can say more than a formal collaboration ever could.