Ed Bruce - Memphis Roots (Live)

'Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys' Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson tribute by Francelle | Country Rebel

Ed Bruce first cut “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” in 1975 with his wife Patsy Trigg singing harmony. Written by Bruce himself, it was a raw, world-weary warning wrapped in twang and truth. His version hit the Top 20, but it was Willie and Waylon’s 1978 duet that turned it into a country anthem. Still, Bruce’s original carried a quieter kind of power—less outlaw swagger, more lived-in wisdom from a man who knew the highs and heartaches of the cowboy life. #country | HonkyTon