Outlaw Country Documentary Featuring Waylon & Willie Set to Premiere at SXSW
Outlaw Country Documentary Featuring Waylon & Willie Set to Premiere at SXSW
Andrea ReiherSat, February 28, 2026 at 12:57 AM UTC
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A sweeping new documentary series chronicling the origins of outlaw country is headed to Austin for its world premiere.
They Called Us Outlaws – The Cosmic Cowboys, Honky Tonk Heroes and Rise of Redneck Rock will debut March 15 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival, with a 90-minute pilot centered on the late Waylon Jennings and the legendary Armadillo World Headquarters, the Austin venue that helped ignite the outlaw movement.
Presented in association with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the ten-part limited series traces the movement’s roots in late-1960s Nashville and Austin’s counterculture scene, following its evolution from underground rebellion to mainstream influence.
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The premiere episode, “The Prologue – Waylon, The Dillo, and That Outlaw Bit,” explores Jennings’ arrival in Austin at the invitation of Willie Nelson and the cultural collision that helped reshape country music. Rare interviews and archival performance footage include commentary from central figures such as Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver and Guy Clark.
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The series is executive produced by outlaw country icon Jessi Colter, Grammy winner Ray Benson and Texas songwriter Jack Ingram, who also narrates the series.
Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey also appears in the film, offering a perspective on the movement’s cultural legacy.
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Filmmaker Eric Geadelmann began developing the project more than a decade ago in conjunction with the Hall of Fame’s “Outlaws and Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s” exhibit. The expanded series now spotlights more than 120 artists, spanning legends and modern torchbearers from Emmylou Harris to Miranda Lambert and Tyler Childers.
They Called Us Outlaws premieres March 15 at the Rollins Theater at the Long Center as part of SXSW 2026.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
