Jerry Jeff Walker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jerry Jeff Walker
Walker in 2002
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Clyde Crosby
Also known as	Gypsy Songman
Born	(1942-03-16)March 16, 1942 Oneonta, New York, U.S.
Died	October 23, 2020(2020-10-23) (aged 78) Austin, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Progressive country country outlaw country
Occupation(s)	singer, songwriter
Instruments	Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica
Years active	1967–2018
Labels	Tried & True Music
Associated acts	Lost Gonzo Band, Jimmy Buffett, Django Walker, Todd Snider, Brooks & Dunn, Circus Maximus, Lost Sea Dreamers

Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country music and folk singer and songwriter. He was a key person in the progressive country and outlaw country music styles. He is most famous for writing the 1968 song "Mr. Bojangles".

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Jerry Jeff Walker was born Ronald Clyde Crosby in Oneonta, New York, on March 16, 1942. His father, Mel, was a sports referee and bartender. His mother, Alma, stayed at home. His grandparents played music for square dances in their area. His grandmother played piano, and his grandfather played the fiddle. In the late 1950s, Ronald was in a local band called The Tones.

After high school, Ronald joined the National Guard. But he loved adventure and left early. He then traveled across the country, playing music on the streets for money. He played in places like New Orleans, Texas, Florida, and New York. He first used the stage name Jerry Ferris, then Jeff Walker. Later, he combined them to Jerry Jeff Walker and legally changed his name in the late 1960s.

Music Career Highlights

Walker started his folk music career in Greenwich Village in New York City in the mid-1960s. He helped start a band called Circus Maximus with Bob Bruno. They released two albums. One album had a popular radio song called "Wind." But Bob Bruno liked jazz music, and Walker liked folk music, so their interests were different.

Walker then went back to being a solo artist. In 1968, he recorded an important album called Mr. Bojangles. He got help from David Bromberg and other artists from Atlantic Records. In the 1970s, he moved to Austin, Texas. There, he became part of the outlaw country music style. This style included artists like Michael Martin Murphey, Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Waylon Jennings, and Townes Van Zandt. On September 28, 1974, Walker performed with Doug Sahm at Carnegie Hall.

After moving to Austin, Walker released many records with MCA and Elektra Records. Later, he decided to leave the big music companies. In 1986, he started his own record label called Tried & True Music. His wife, Susan, was the president and manager. Susan also started Goodknight Music to manage him and Tried & True Artists for his bookings.

Under his own label, he released records that told more about his own life. He also sold his autobiography, Gypsy Songman. In 2004, Walker released his first DVD. It showed him performing his old songs in a small, cozy setting in Austin.

Walker married Susan Streit in 1974. They had two children: a son, Django Walker, who is also a musician, and a daughter, Jessie Jane. Walker had a special place in Belize, where he recorded his Cowboy Boots and Bathing Suits album in 1998. He also sang on Ramblin' Jack Elliott's 1998 album, Friends of Mine. He sang "He Was a Friend of Mine" and Woody Guthrie's "Hard Travelin'".

Walker sang many songs written by other artists. These included "LA Freeway" (Guy Clark), "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother" (Ray Wylie Hubbard), and "London Homesick Blues" (Gary P. Nunn). He also sang songs by Rodney Crowell, Townes Van Zandt, Paul Siebel, Bob Dylan, and Todd Snider. People sometimes called Walker "the Jimmy Buffett of Texas." Walker was the one who first drove Jimmy Buffett to Key West. The two musicians also wrote the song "Railroad Lady" together.

The Song "Mr. Bojangles"

Walker's song "Mr. Bojangles" (1968) is probably his most famous song. Many other artists have sung it. Some important versions include a live one by his bandmate David Bromberg. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band also released a version that reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts in 1971.

Later Years and Passing

Jerry Jeff Walker had an annual birthday party in Austin at the Paramount Theatre and at Gruene Hall in Gruene, Texas. This party became a very big event in Texas. Many famous country music artists would come to play music and share stories.

He passed away on October 23, 2020, in a hospital in Austin, Texas. He was 78 years old.

Discography

Albums

Source: AllMusic

Singles

Source: AllMusic, unless otherwise stated.