Cody Jinks is not letting go of his beef with who and what is being characterized as “Outlaw.” Recently, the multi-Platinum artist took Billboard to task after they published an article both celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Wanted: The Outlaws compilation, and previewed the premier of the new 10-part documentary series They Called Us Outlaws.
Specifically, Cody Jinks was incensed that performers like Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, and others were characterized as “modern-day outlaws.” “…the article is garbage. The only ‘modern outlaw’ to make the list is Jamey Johnson. Jamey actually told his label to Eff Off! I love the rest of the artists on that list and have played with them but they are not outlaws,” Jinks said in part.
On Tuesday morning (3-17), Cody Jinks once again took to social media after doing more research into the They Called Us Outlaws documentary to say,
My apologies. At the time of my last post, I didn’t know this article was a fluff piece by a senior writer at Billboard about a documentary backed by the Country Music Hall of Fame and an AI tech entrepreneur that bought his way into the country music label elite’s favoritism.
No doubt this documentary will have great clips and things to learn about our outlaw heroes of old, with great interviews and opinions from some of our favorite artists of today. I’m sure the production, the cast, and everything else is top notch. I’m friends with several people in it and they are great, so for them, that’s awesome. But all of this begs one question: During any portion of the making of this, did anyone ask, “Where’s Whitey and Ward? Where’s Sunny [Sweeney], Blackberry Smoke, Wade Bowen, Jason Boland? Where’s Dallas Moore, Cross Canadian Ragweed? Where’s Hank Jr.? (Wait, the establishment hated his Dad until it was profitable to use his name.)
All that to say, I take exception to the Country Music Hall of Fame partnering with someone who developed AI – the single biggest executioner of real art, sans major labels.
Elitists and superpowers shape history by rewriting it for themselves. Artists paint the whole picture. I’d rather be an artist.
Which brings me to my last question: if being outlaw is anti-machine, how is there anything outlaw about this documentary?
For the record, I’m a self proclaimed punk.
Y’all think Hank done it this way?
I’ll see y’all on the road.
Whitey Morgan of Whitey Morgan and the 78’s has been around since 2005, and is considered one of the top artists keeping the Outlaw spirit and sound of country music alive. Ward Davis is a songwriter and performer who wrote “Unfair Weather Friend” for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and recently released his latest album Here I Am.
Saving Country Music was at the premier of They Called Us Outlaws at SXSW Sunday evening (3-15), (read review and report) and addressed Cody’s original criticism for who was being called an “Outlaw” with filmmaker Eric Geadelmann.
Geadelmann said that he was simply interviewed by Billboard for the article, and wasn’t calling anyone an “Outlaw,” or inferring they were just because they were interviewed for the film. He also explained that the project isn’t officially finished, and wouldn’t rule out interviewing Jinks or others, though the project is entering its final phase.
As for Eric Geadelmann’s involvement with AI, his IBMA bio starts off, “Former AI tech entrepreneur, turned filmmaker and music producer, Eric Geadelmann, launched his film career in 2003 with “The Dance” – The Billy Roth Story, a critically acclaimed feature documentary that Nicolas Cage executive produced as part of a multi-project partnership that included Universal Pictures.”
Eric Geadelmann’s Wikita page says,
“A former Principal in publicly-traded, international management consultant firm Navigant Consulting who co-developed the firm’s healthcare technology division Axonal Health Solutions and a senior healthcare executive, Geadelmann co-founded a Dallas-based venture capital backed technology company CareSteps with physicians/medical scientists, Jeff Rice, MD, JD and Mark HT Ridinger, MD that pioneered early web-based applications of advanced artificial intelligence neural networks for disease prediction modeling and evidence-based medicine profiling. The company merged with the Nashville based disease management company Healthways and with some of the proceeds, Geadelmann began exploring film.”
It appears that Geadelmann has not been directly involved in the AI business for over 20 years since working on the Billy Roth film, and starting the 821 Entertainment Group in roughly 2004, though this is not been confirmed. We also don’t know if Geadelmann continues to be invested or involved in AI, or why he left the industry as a full-time pursuit for film.
Saving Country Music reached out to representatives for They Called Us Outlaws for comment, and they have decided to not comment any further at this time.
When Saving Country Music first reported the Outlaw film in 2022, the concern was raised then on if artist who more embody the “Outlaw” scene of today would be included.
“Who you do not see from the set of modern artists is a lot of the performers who tend to self-identify more as Outlaws, and who happen to have very large followings, and at times hobnobbed with the original Outlaws themselves. Cody Jinks, Whitey Morgan, Dallas Moore, Hank Williams III, and others are noticeably absent…”
It appears that concern has come to the forefront now that the release of the film is in the offing. But it’s important to understand that the ultimate focus of They Called Us Outlaws is not the present-day performers who might appear, but chronicling the history of the Outlaw country era of the ’70s and beyond.
They Called Us Outlaws is expected to be distributed via a streaming service near the end of 2026, or early 2027.
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