Hank Williams Jr. & Waylon Jennings’ âThe Conversationâ Reaches New Milestone 45 Years Later
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About Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings’ Song “The Conversation”
Originally released in 1979, “The Conversation” is a collaboration between country icons Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings that was featured on Williams’ album Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound.
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The song was written by Williams, Jennings, and Jennings’ longtime drummer, Richie Albright, and is based on a conversation in which Jennings asks Williams about his parents, Hank and Audrey. Although the song had been around for quite some time, it wasn’t released as an actual single until 1983, when Jennings re-released the track on his album Waylon and Company.
From there, the song charted at No. 15 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. This time around, Williams and Jennings also created an accompanying music video, which was nearly unheard of for country songs at the time.
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 Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings’ Song “The Conversation” Reaches New Milestone 45 Years Later
Even though “The Conversation” wasn’t an immediate hit when it was first released in the late 70’s, it has since become a country classic from the two legendary Outlaws. Now, 45 years later, the song has reached a major milestone. On Thursday, October 10, Williams’ version was officially certified Gold by the RIAA.
Although it seems like the impact of this track would have earned it Gold status years ago, a single must sell 500,000 units to reach that prestigious title. While “The Conversation” likely hit this number long ago, the RIAA’s updated system now includes streams from multiple platforms, allowing the certification to be officially confirmed.
But that wasn’t the only track to go Gold for Williams. On the same day, his 1981 hit “Dixie On My Mind” also received Gold certification. The song, featured on his album Rowdy, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, marking his fourth number-one hit.
