The Icons of Outlaw Country #103

Icons of Outlaw Country with John Wesley Karson

Tune in to Icons of Outlaw Country with your host John Wesley Karson, where the rebel spirit of country music gets its due—raw, unfiltered, and free of Nashville’s glittery chokehold. Hour one kicks off with a double shot of Waylon Jennings, featuring his gritty 1980 gem “Clyde,” followed by a 1978 duet with Johnny Cash, “There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang,” a chain-rattling ode to defiance. Then it’s Chris LeDoux’s 1992 heart-tugger “You Just Can’t See Him from the Road,” straight from a rodeo rider’s soul, and Charlie Daniels Band’s 1976 foot-stomper “Billy the Kid,” proving outlaws don’t need polish—just a fiddle and a snarl. Karson digs deep into the archives, spotlighting artists who lived the life, not just sang it, with stories as wild as the tunes.

Hour two keeps the fire burning, starting with David Allan Coe’s 1975 gut-punch “Piece of Wood and Steel,” a love letter to a battered guitar that hits harder than a barroom brawl. Sammi Smith’s sultry 1970 plea “Help Me Make It Through the Night” slinks in next, dripping with late-night longing. From there, it’s a ramble through the fringes—think Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s 1968 take on “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” all dusty and road-worn, alongside Kinky Friedman’s 1976 self-titled “Kinky,” a middle finger to the mainstream with a wink. John Wesley Karson stitches it all together with his gravelly charm, serving up the real deal—outlaw country that spits in the face of cookie-cutter radio and dares you to feel something.

Playlist

HOUR ONE
Waylon Jennings – Clyde – 1980
Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings – There Ain’t Good Chain Gang – 1978
Marshall Chapman – Crystal Clear – 1977
Hank Jr. – I’d Love to Knock the Hell Right Out of You – 1999
George Jones – Wrong’s What I Do Best – 1992
Charlie Daniels Band – Billy the Kid – 1976
Chris LeDoux – You Just Can’t See Him from the Road – 1992
The Bellamy Brothers – Old Hippie - 1985
Billy Joe Shaver - Good Ol' U.S.A. – 1993
Guy Clark - Don’t Let The Sunshine Fool Ya – 1976
Jerry Jeff Walker – Getting By - 1994
Dallas Wayne - I'm Your Biggest Fan - 2023
Johnny Paycheck – Pardon Me (I’ve Got Someone To Kill) - 1979
John Prine – Sweet Revenge – 1973

HOUR TWO
David Allan Coe - Piece of Wood and Steel – 1975
Sammi Smith - Help me Make it Through the Night – 1970
Tompall Glaser - My Life Would Make a Damn Good Country Song – 1994
Gram Parsons - The Streets of Baltimore - 1973
Gary P. Nunn - The Nights Never Get Lonely – 2014
Waylon Jennings - We Had It All – 1974
Ramblin Jack Elliot - Don’t Think Twice, it’s Alright - 1968
Billy Joe Shaver – Wacko From Waco – 2012
Commander Cody – Tina Louise – 1975
Terry Allen – Amarillo Highway – 1979
Ray Willey Hubbard - Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother – 2013
Kinky Friedman – Kinky – 1976
Kinky Friedman – Lady Yesterday – 1976