{"id":268,"date":"2021-10-06T20:19:45","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T00:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/?p=268"},"modified":"2021-12-25T17:13:42","modified_gmt":"2021-12-25T21:13:42","slug":"cindy-walker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/2021\/10\/06\/cindy-walker\/","title":{"rendered":"Cindy Walker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Legendary songwriter Cindy Walker was born in Mart, a small town located outside Waco in central Texas, in 1918. She grew up on her grandparents\u2019 farm and wrote her first song when she was 12 years old. Her Grandfather was a well-known hymn writer, and her mother was a pianist, so she was surrounded by traditional musical influences growing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walker had her big break when she traveled to Los Angeles with her father when she was a senior in high school. She had written a song called \u2018Lone Star Trail,\u2019 and she asked her father to stop the car at the Bing Crosby Enterprises building to pitch a song to him. She recounts the story in an interview with the Chicago Tribune<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took my little guitar–that’s what I was writing songs with. I wasn’t a good player, but I could get the chords. Anyway, Bing was sitting there in his chair at Paramount Studios, and a publisher from New York was sitting with him. Larry said, “This gal’s name is Cindy. She wants you to hear a song she’s written.” The publisher said, “Can I listen too?” And so we all went up to Bing’s dressing room. I sang “Lone Star Trail,” and he said, “I like it. I’ll do it.” Then the publisher said, “I like it and I’ll publish it.” I said, “Shucks, there ain’t nothing to this.”<\/p>Chicago Tribune, 1988<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

She had a brief stint as a recording artist, but songwriting was where her talent shined through. She had a songwriting career spanning five decades and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997. She has been described as \u201cthe greatest living songwriter of country music,\u201d and wrote over 500 recorded songs for influential country and pop artists like Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys (who recorded over 50 of her songs), Gene Autry, and Ray Charles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walker wrote \u201cYou\u2019re from Texas,\u201d which was recorded by Bob Wills, but most of her songs don\u2019t have anything to do with the state. They do, however, show a deep personal connection that Walker had to the American West, and her songs are described as having \u201cpure, plainspoken lyrics of romance, heartbreak, and picturesque prairies\u201d and a \u201cromantic, sentimental, Western-flavored [feel].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She typically wrote with a particular artist in mind, and her music has a very wistful sound, with descriptive lyrics and long instrumental intros and breaks. The song structure itself is usually very simple. The first verse and chorus are typically repeated, and often her compositions won\u2019t have more than two verses. Because she was primarily a songwriter and not a recording artist, the instruments and playing styles used for her music vary from artist to artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walker had a lasting impact on country music, and Texan musicians like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson have paid tribute to her. You can hear her impacts on their musical styles, as they both write lyrics that are thoughtful, descriptive, and often introspective, and their brand of country, known as outlaw country, melds folk rhythms and influences in the same way that her music does, giving it a noticeable contrast from the highly produced, pop-influenced country that was popular in their heyday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three songs that encapsulate Cindy Walker\u2019s sound are linked below. They all share lyrics that paint a picture for the listener, a sentimental feel, and are versatile enough to work well as country, pop, or rock, depending on which version you listen to. The version of \u201cYou Don\u2019t Know Me\u201d linked was recorded by Walker herself, but the other two are different artists. \u201cBlue Canadian Rockies\u201d is best known as a Gene Autry song, and \u201cCherokee Maiden\u201d was recorded by Merle Haggard several times, the version linked being one of many. These songs are beautifully written and give an idea of Cindy Walker\u2019s gift for writing about the American West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audio and lyrics below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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