ROOTS of Country Music

You Don't Know Me: The Cindy Walker Story

CountryMusic Hall of Fame member Cindy Walker was a prolific songwriter who had the unique ability to write hits in a wide variety of musical styles ranging from western swing to pop. Dream Baby, Bubbles in My Beer, You Don't Know Me; if Cindy Walker hadn't written another song, these three would be enough to hang her Stetson on.

Walker wrote hundreds more, however, and it's hard to think of a more influential country music songwriter. Cindy Walker produced a large body of songs that charted over five decades for such artists as Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Elvis Presley, Patti Page, Eddy Arnold and Bob Wills.

Cindy Walker was born on July 20, 1918 in Mexia,Texas, the daughter of a cotton-broker. Her grandfather was a noted composer of hymns and her mother was an accomplished pianist. From childhood Cindy Walker started writing songs and during her teens, inspired by the dust-storms on the American prairie, Walker wrote the song, Dusty Skies.

It all began for Ms. Walker who traveled to Hollywood, California (CA) with her parents in the early 40's. She walked into the office of Larry Crosby and announced that she had written a song for Bing Crosby. Brother Larry agreed to listen, liked the song, and made an appointment for Walker to sing it for Bing Crosby.

The next day Cindy Walker played guitar and sang "Lone Star Trail" for Mr. Crosby at Paramount Studios. Bing Crosby arranged for her to record a demo with Dave Kapp (Decca Records), who offered her a recording contract. Subsequently, Lone Star Trail was recorded and became a top-ten hit for Bing Crosby.

"My father was a cotton buyer, and we were inTucson. We took a trip toHollywoodto sell some pima cotton, and I saw theCrosbyBuilding. I said, Stop, Papa, stop! I've got a song for Bing Crosby, and I want to see him! And Pop said, You're squirrelly, girl. Bing Crosby's not in that building!" But I went in and saw Larry Crosby there. I told him I was a songwriter. I couldn't play the piano and didn't play guitar very well, so I ran downstairs and got Mama and made her play piano. He said, "Well, what are you gonna' sing?" I said, 'Lone Star Trail. He took me over toParamountthe next morning, and I sang it for Bing. His publisher liked it too, so that's the way that happened!" ~ Cindy Walker

During her initial Decca Records session, Cindy Walker recorded, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again (No. 5, 1944). The song which she had not written was the only single that she placed on the Billboard charts.Walker also began writing songs for singing cowboys and appeared in a series of short musical films.

It was also in Hollywood, CA where Walker first met Bob Wills. Walker successfully pitched her songs to Wills. The collaboration was extremely fruitful as Wills and the Texas Playboys eventually recorded more than 50 of her compositions.

In 1948 the following Walker-penned songs were hits: Oklahoma Waltz, (Johnny Bond), Warm Red Wine (Ernest Tubb) and Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me (Eddy Arnold) and George Morgan's I Love Everything About You, charted the following year.

During the 1950s Walker continued her success as a writer. In 1952 Hank Snow had a hit with her composition The Gold Rush is Over (No.2, 1952), Gene Autry recorded Blue Canadian Rockies(1952) and I Don't Care, was a massive hit for Webb Pierce (No. 1, 1955). Cindy Walker's tenure on the West Coast also led to several other major hits, including, Anna Marie (Jim Reeves, No. 3, 1957) and Eddy Arnold's You Don't Know Me (No. 10, 1956).

"It happened in Nashville when I went in to say goodbye to Steve Sholes of RCA Records and Eddy came in right about the time I was leaving. He said, "I've got a title that I want you to write a song around: 'You Don't Know Me.'" I said, "Well, that doesn't sound like much, but I'll think about it." I went home and wrote it." ~ Cindy Walker

You Don't Know Me has been covered by numerous artists over the years, most successfully by Ray Charles in 1962 and Mickey Gilley who took it to No. 1 in 1981. A few of her other major compositions include, Jerry Wallace's In the Misty Moonlight (No. 19, 1964), Jim Reeves' This is It (No. 1, 1965) and Distant Drums (No. 1, 1966), Jack Greene's You Are My Treasure (No. 1, 1968) and Sonny James' Heaven Says Hello (No. 1, 1968).

Cindy Walker was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997. During the ceremony renowned songwriter (and fellow Hall of Fame inductee) Harlan Howard described Walkeras "the greatest living songwriter of country music."

Cindy Walker died in Mexia,Texas, on March 23, 2006. Prior to her death, Walker made sure her songs would be in good hands and in doing so, she donated the bulk of her song catalog to Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Cindy Walker, Cindy Song catalog

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