Remembering the Soundtrack of Jennings' Life

Aug. 12, 2005 — -- Peter Jennings loved music. He even used it to help him work.

On Fridays, when it was time to write scripts for "Person of the Week," he would often put on the Willie Nelson song, "It Always Will Be."

He would let it get him choked up and then start writing.

For Jennings, journalism was not just in the words -- not only in the "think" of the story -- but also the feel of the story, the emotion, to which music helped him connect.

Jennings loved all kinds of music. His staff once called in bagpipe players for a birthday surprise in the newsroom.

But Jennings really loved jazz. He raised money for his favorite causes each summer by hosting the "Jazz at Jennings" charitable event at his home.

"I like country music, I like jazz, I like Latin music, I like rock 'n' roll, I like classical music a lot," he said in a recent interview. "I think I like almost everything except heavy metal. And I go to listen to a lot of music when I can."

"He loved jazz," said jazz singer Shannon Gibbons, a friend of Jennings. "I think just the volatile nature of it. The idea is improvisation, the whole idea behind jazz is to do something that you haven't done before, and he was intrigued by that," Gibbons said.

"In many ways, Peter was like a jazz musician," said jazz trumpeter John Faddis, also a friend of Jennings. "He was able to tell a story, and that's what jazz musicians since the beginning of jazz have always tried to do when playing and improvising is to tell a story."