Waylon Payne (born April 5, 1972) is an American country singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the son of guitarist Jody Payne and Grammy Award-winning country singer Sammi Smith. His father became a longtime picker for Willie Nelson; his mother toured with Waylon Jennings. Payne is named for Jennings, who is his godfather. Due to the ending marriage of his parents and their heavy touring schedules, when he was about four months old Payne's mother placed him with her brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Yvonne Smith, in Dallas. Although he spent summers out on the road with his mother, he lived with his uncle and aunt, who were strict Christians, until he was about age 18. After high school, Payne enrolled in a seminary to become a minister. During his first year at Oklahoma Baptist University, however, he struggled with an internal battle regarding sex and sexuality. His carnal desires, along with the fact tha