Cindy Walker

The Country Music Hall of Fame describes Cindy Walker as “perhaps the finest female composer in country music history.” She became one of the most prolific female songwriters who produced more than 400 Top Ten country and pop hits from the 1940’s through the 1980’s.  Over the years, she had over 500 of her songs recorded by numerous artists including Gene Autry, Bob Wills, Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Ricky Skaggs, Hank Snow, Jim Reeves, and the list goes on.

Cindy Walker was born on her grandparents’ farm near Mart, Texas on July 20, 1918. She composed her first song, “Dusty Skies,” at the age of 12.  On a visit to Hollywood with her parents in 1940, she barged into the Bing Crosby’s Studios where she performed her song “Lone Star Trail” for Bing Crosby’s brother.  This resulted in the sale of her first song, and Bing Crosby’s recording of the song became a hit.  Within weeks she had also secured a recording contract with Decca Records. In 1940, she appeared as “Singer Cindy” in two movies, Tenderfoot Ride and Frontier Vengeance.  She also appeared in the first short musical movie or “soundie” in 1941.

In 1941, Bob Wills agreed to record four of her songs, “Bluebonnet Lane,” “Cherokee Maiden,” “It’s All Your Fault,” and “Dusty Skies.” He also hired her to write all of the songs in a string of eight western films that he was contracted to make.  Over the years, Bob Wills recorded more than 50 of Cindy Walker’s songs. In 1941, she wrote her first Top Ten country hit, “You’re From Texas,” which Bob Wills also recorded. She also recorded a hit herself in 1944, “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again,” which she ironically did not write.

After 1944, she decided to set her performing career aside and focus on composing.  In 1948, three of her songs became hits, “Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me” recorded by Eddy Arnold, “Oklahoma Waltz” recorded by Johnny Bond, and “Warm Red Wine” recorded by Ernest Tubbs.  “The Gold Rush is Over” became a hit for Hank Snow in 1952.

In 1954, Cindy Walker moved from Hollywood to Mexia, Texas where she lived in a very modest home with her mother.  Here she continued to write each day.  In 1955, she wrote “You Don’t Know Me,” which was recorded by Eddy Arnold who had originally suggested the title.  It became one of her most well known songs and by the late 1980’s, had been recorded by more than 75 artists. In 1962, Roy Orbison had a hit with her song, “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream),” and Jim Reeves’ recordings of “Anna Marie” (1957), “This Is It” (1965), and “Distant Drums” (1966) also became Top Ten hits.  New generations of artists began to appreciate and record her songs allowing her to continue writing hit songs through the 1980’s.  Cindy Walker never limited herself to writing just country music songs; her songs have been recorded by many pop and rock artists including Roy Orbison (as previously mentioned), Bette Midler, the Byrds, Cher, and Michael Bolton. 

Cindy Walker became a charter member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Other honors include being inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1998.  She has also received the Texas Music Association’s Golden Guitar Award and has been inducted into the Western Swing halls of fame in Arizona, California, and Texas.

Cindy Walker died at Parkview Regional Hospital in Mexia on March 23, 2006.  She is buried in the Mexia City Cemetery where she and her work are honored with a memorial sculpture of a pink granite guitar.