Jonathan Kieran

I was raised on this classy, mystical, funky, sexy, STUNNINGLY GIFTED singer-songwriter’s music.

Fairly or unfairly, her potent legacy has been overshadowed by the well-deserved glorification of her more prolific husband’s (Waylon Jennings) musical footprint, but Colter was, in her way, far, far, far more “outlaw” than any of the three dudes who surrounded her on the phenomenal, industry shattering, era-defining WANTED: THE OUTLAWS album in 1976.

Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Tompall Glaser had not ever released albums comprised entirely of their own musical compositions, start-to-finish, by 1976.

Songwriting autonomy was one of the key hallmarks of the “outlaw” movement rippling through Nashville in the early-mid 1970s.

Again, Waylon didn’t release an album of his own, exclusive compositions by the time the OUTLAWS album was released.

Willie hadn’t.

Tompall hadn’t.

Jessi colter had released not one but TWO big bestselling, critically acclaimed albums that featured ONLY her original songs—1975’s I’M JESSI COLTER and 1976’s JESSI.

And both of those albums stormed the country and pop album charts, along with Colter’s mega-smash, international, multi-format classic single, I’M NOT LISA. That haunting, gothic ballad, which basically said, “Dude. Your old girlfriend is gone. Get over her. I’m here and I ain’t going NOWHERE,” rocketed to the Top of Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary, MOR, and other charts around the world, selling over 2 MILLION copies in the USA alone by 1977, in an era when people actually had to go to a store, locate a single, pull it from the rack, take it up to the cashier, and pay for it.

Colter’s entirely self-written Capitol debut album—loaded with single-worthy songs—sold over a million copies in the USA, further bolstered by additional Pop Top 100 entries WHAT’S HAPPENED TO BLUE EYES and YOU AIN’T NEVER BEEN LOVED.

Do you know which other female artist on a major label composed an album of her own songs in 1975?

No one.

In 1976, only Jessi Colter and Joni Mitchell released major label albums comprised entirely of their own compositions—albums that rose high on Billboard charts.

Colter’s powerful contribution has been too often overlooked. She was a groundbreaking artist with an inimitable, soul-style. She was the bigger star than her hubby and Willie Nelson by the time the WANTED: THE OUTLAWS album was released to manic excitement in 1976.

Rough waters in the Jennings-Colter marriage distracted Jessi from her independent career at a crucial juncture, however. The two separated at the end of 1976, not long after Jessi released her third No. 1 Country and Top 100 Pop album DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. A note of discord was introduced into Colter’s trajectory, and she answered with a genius, fully self-written album of roots rock spirituals in 1977 called MIRRIAM.

It was a stunning, confessional work, but ahead of its time.

Colter and her label were at arm’s length ever after.

She went on to further triumphs in the early 1980s but after the birth of her and Jennings’s son, Shooter, in 1979, Colter sidelined her independent recording career to serve as a beloved featured guest on tours with Jennings into the late 1990s.

A loss. An artistic loss proven by the sheer brilliance of the three albums she released after Jennings’s tragic, early death in 2002.

2006’s OUT OF THE ASHES, mostly self-written and produced by Don Was remains the equal of her very best Capitol platters, and subsequent efforts—THE PSALMS (2017) and EDGE OF FOREVER (2023) are nearly as breathtaking.

Colter’s son, Shooter Jennings, a harrowingly terrific country-rock singer & songwriter and three-time Grammy-winning producer, has recently declared that he is on a “quest” to see his magnificent mother inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Dude, if you need signatures, I will take-up several clipboards. And then some.

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[ THE WEDNESDAY BOX, a dark fable by Jonathan Kieran is slated for international release June 18, 2026 ]

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