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.
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…