Waylon Payne Movies

The true story of one of Nashville's most innovative instrumentalists comes to the screen in this biographical drama based on the life of Hank Garland. Garland (played by Waylon Payne) was a gifted guitarist who rose among the ranks of aspiring country music stars to become one of Music City's busiest session players. Garland performed and recorded with the likes of Patsy Cline (Mandy Barnett), Roy Orbison (Brian Jones) and Elvis Presley (Jason Alan Smith), and Garland's musical interests went beyond country and pop; he loved jazz, and inspired by Wes Montgomery, he intended to bridge the gap between country and jazz, forming a jazz combo and cutting a celebrated album called Jazz Winds From A New Direction. But Garland was also a deeply troubled man; his passion for music could seem obsessive to many who worked with him, he had a short fuse when it came to people he felt were taking advantage of his talents, and his womanizing ways led him into a ill-fated relationship with Evelyn (Ali Larter), who discovered too late that she had many rivals for his affections, with music at the top of the list. However, it was neither a sour relationship nor an unappreciative audience that caused the tragedy that ended Garland's career before its time. Crazy was the first feature film from director Rick Bieber. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

James Mangold's Walk the Line tells the life story of country music legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), focusing primarily on the long courtship he had with June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). The film is structured as an extended flashback opening with Cash readying to take the stage at his historic Folsom Prison Concert. The film touches on his childhood, relating a horrific early incident from his life and establishing the troubled relationship he would have with his father (Robert Patrick). Cash joins the military and leaves home. During his time in the armed services he begins writing songs and romances a hometown girl (Ginnifer Goodwin). After the end of his duty he settles down and attempts to begin a music career, but his wife has trouble adjusting to his dreams. Cash auditions for Sam Phillips (Dallas Roberts), signs to Sun Records, and soon finds himself on tour with a roster of young soon to be legends that includes Elvis Presley (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne). On this tour he meets June Carter, the daughter of the famous Carter family, and they take a liking to each other although she refuses any serious advances from him. Cash gains world wide fame thanks in part to the inspiration he gets from June, but eventually his marriage crumbles and he develops a serious drug addiction. The film is based on Cash's autobiographies. Phoenix and Witherspoon performed all of their own singing in the movie, just as Sissy Spacek and Beverly D'Angelo did in Coal Miner's Daughter a quarter-century before. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide