Jerry
Jeff Walker collection
ca. 1970-1979
2 linear feet
1 box, 1 framed
item
Click here for complete
inventory
Acquisition: Gift donated by Jerry Jeff Walker,
1991.
Access: Direct inquiries to Archivist, Albert
B. Alkek Library, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666-4604. (512) 245-2313.
Processed
by: Amanda Oates, 1999.
BIOGRAPHICAL
NOTE
Singer-songwriter
Jerry Jeff Walker was born Ronald Clyde Crosby on March 16, 1942, in Oneonta,
New York. In the early 1960s, he hitchhiked cross-country, singing in bars and
on street corners, adopting the name Jerry Jeff Walker in 1966. While
performing in Texas, Walker met songwriter Bob Bruno, with whom he formed a
band called the Lost Sea Dreamers (and later Circus Maximus), and relocated to
New York City.
In 1968, Walker
wrote the song he would become famous for, ÒMr. BojanglesÓ, which enabled him
to embark on a solo career, this time based in Austin. Although WalkerÕs
recording of the song barely broke the charts, artists such as Tom T. Hall,
Sammy Davis, Jr., Harry Belafonte, George Burns, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
covered it, making Walker and his music known to a national audience.
Walker became a
central figure in the burgeoning alternative country scene in Austin beginning
in the early 1970s. In 1973, he recorded the album ÒViva TerlinguaÓ in
Luckenbach, Texas, a ghost town which was memorialized by Waylon JenningsÕ 1977
hit song of the same name. Walker began to celebrate his birthday in
Luckenbach, an event which has grown to legendary proportions. From the early
1970s to 1978, he played with the Lost Gonzo Band, which was known for its
skilled musicians, including singer-songwriter Gary P. Nunn.
In 1986, Walker
formed his own production company, Tried and True Music, and began to take more
time with each of his recording projects. In 1991, he began hosting the
television show ÒThe Texas ConnectionÓ, on the Nashville Network (TNN). In that same year, he played at the
inauguration of Texas Governor, Ann Richards, and two years later at the
inauguration of President Bill Clinton. In 1994, Walker returned to Luckenbach
to record ÒViva LuckenbachÓ, a tribute to his thirty years performing. To date,
he has recorded over 25 albums and continues to play in packed halls to
audiences ranging in age from teenagers to retirees.
SCOPE AND
CONTENTS
This collection
is comprised of the handwritten lyrics and chord notations to the country western
song ÒCharlie DunnÓ, written in the 1970s by Jerry Jeff Walker for the Texas
bootmaker by that name, who worked with Buck Steiner, at the Capital Saddlery,
on Lavaca Street in Austin, Texas. Also included is the first pair of custom
lizard skin boots made for Walker by Dunn, which bear WalkerÕs initials on the
front shaft of each boot.
Click here for complete
inventory