Waylon grew up in Knoxville where the focus tends to be Country Music, Country Music and Nascar.... oh and Country Music. Waylon's dad featured a session musician on a few well known tracks, enough to keep the family out the poor house but never managing to gain any real success himself. His Mom taught school so Waylon found a lot of his time either sat with his nose in a book or hanging around music studios. McDade wouldn't call himself smart but that's only because of his southern humility. Waylon is as sharp as a tack but he's no bookish nerd. Broadmind music types certainly saw to it that Waylon knew what real life was about as well.