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Country Throwback: Watch Waylon Jennings Belt ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Theme Song in Concert

Waylon Jennings was a good ol’ boy. Viewers may not have seen the country singer on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” but they certainly heard his voice.

Jennings performed the theme song “Good Ol Boys” on the hit 1979 TV show. It was one of the most popular shows airing on the networks at its time. And the show couldn’t go wrong getting one of the pioneers of Outlaw Country to sing about those rebellious Duke boys.

Banking on the popularity of the show, Jennings included the tune as a single on his album Music Man in 1980. And the results were a hit. The song shot to the top of the charts at the time. It also gave Jennings the opportunity to perform the song live and poke a little fun at his TV appearance.

Waylon Jennings Played the Narrator

Eagle-eyed fans may spot Waylon Jennings during the opening credits of the show. But the singer only appeared from the neck down for a brief moment. It’s something that Jennings makes light of in the commercial version of the song. He sings, “I’m a good ol’ boy. You know my momma loves me/ But she don’t understand, they keep a showin’ my hands and not my face on TV.”

In addition to the theme song, Jennings actually played an important role on the show. He acted as the narrator or The Balladeer commenting on what trouble the Duke Boys got themselves into this time. Jennings’ role helped establish much of the character and atmosphere of the show. It’s safe to say “The Dukes of Hazzard” wouldn’t have been the same without him.

It’s a role similar to the one he played in the film “Moonrunners,” a precursor to “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

Both were made by the same creator, and Jennings’ role in the TV series helped land him his TV gig. But for fans that want to see Jennings face on Primetime, the country singer made an actual appearance during the show’s seventh season. He appeared as a friend of the Duke boys. But Jennings had been there all along.