Billy Walker

William Marvin Walker (January 14, 1929 – May 21, 2006) was an American country music singer and guitarist best known for his 1962 hit, "Charlie's Shoes". Nicknamed The Tall Texan, Walker had more than 30 charting records during a nearly 60-year career, and was a longtime member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Biography Early years Billy Walker was born in Ralls, Texas, United States, His manager at the time had him wear a Lone Ranger-style black mask and billed him as The Traveling Texan, In 1955, Walker, Presley and Tillman Franks teamed up for a tour of West Texas. Walker soon became a cast member of ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri, In 1962, he topped the chart with "Charlie's Shoes", the only No. 1 single of his career. His smooth tenor was well-suited to other Western-inspired hits including "Matamoros" and "Cross the Brazos at Waco" (1964).

After performing at a charity concert in Kansas City, Kansas on March 3, 1963, Walker received a call to return to Nashville. Fellow performer Hawkshaw Hawkins gave Walker his commercial airline ticket, and instead flew back to Tennessee on March 5 on a private plane, which crashed, killing Hawkins, Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and pilot Randy Hughes.

After leaving Columbia in 1965, Walker signed with producer Fred Foster's Monument Records and moved to MGM in 1970 and to RCA Records in 1974. He later recorded for several independent labels, including his own Tall Texan label.

In the late 1960s, he hosted a syndicated television show, Billy Walker’s Country Carnival, and appeared on other country music TV programs. Walker performed around the world, and several times during the 1980s sang at the International Festival of Country Music at Wembley Arena in London. In April 2006, Walker recorded the duet "All I Ever Need Is You" with Danish singer Susanne Lana for Hillside House Records. The recording, at Signal Path Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, was produced by Charlie McCoy.

Walker continued to tour and remained a mainstay on the Grand Ole Opry, and was scheduled to perform two days following his death with Terri Clark, Porter Wagoner and others.

Death On May 21, 2006, Walker died in a road accident when the van he was driving back to Nashville after a performance in Foley, Alabama, veered off Interstate 65 in Fort Deposit and overturned. His wife Bettie; bassist Charles Lilly Jr., son of Everett Lilly of The Lilly Brothers; and guitarist Daniel Patton were also killed. The Walkers, Lilly, and Patton died instantly. Walker's grandson, Joshua Brooks, survived with serious injuries. Walker was interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville.

Discography Albums Year Album

Label 1961 Everybody's Hits but Mine

1963 Greatest Hits

Anything Your Heart Desires

Thank You for Calling

1965 The Gun, The Gold and the Girl /Cross the Brazos at Waco

1966 A Million and One

1967 The Walker Way

I Taught Her Everything She Knows

Salutes the Country Music Hall of Fame

Portrait of Billy

How Big Is God

Darling Days

When a Man Loves a Woman(The Way That I Love You)

I'm Gonna Keep On Lovin' You /She Goes Walkin' Through My Mind

Live

The Billy Walker Show (with Mike Curb Congregation)

All Time Greatest Hits

The Hand of Love

1974 Too Many Memories

1974 Fine as Wine

1975 Lovin' and Losin'''

1976

1980 Bye Bye Love (with Barbara Fairchild)

1984

EMH

Singles

1954 "Thank You for Calling"

1957 "On My Mind Again"

"Forever"

"I Wish You Love"

1961 "Funny How Time Slips Away"

"Charlie's Shoes"

"Willie the Weeper"

"Heart, Be Careful"

"The Morning Paper"

"Circumstances"

"It's Lonesome"

"Cross the Brazos at Waco"

"Matamoros"

"If It Pleases You"

"I'm So Miserable Without You"

"The Old French Quarter (In New Orleans)"

"A Million and One"

"Bear with Me a Little Longer"

"Anything Your Heart Desires"

"In Del Rio"

"I Taught Her Everything She Knows"

"Sundown Mary"

"Ramona"

"Age of Worry"

"From the Bottle to the Bottom" (with The Tennessee Walkers)

"Smoky Places"

"Better Homes and Gardens"

"Thinking 'Bout You, Babe"

"Darling Days"

"When a Man Loves a Woman (The Way That I Love You)"

When a Man Loves a Woman (The Way That I Love You)|- "She Goes Walking Through My Mind"

"I'm Gonna Keep On Keep On Lovin' You"

"It's Time to Love Her"

"Don't Let Him Make a Memory Out of Me"

"Traces of a Woman"

1972 "Sing Me a Love Song to Baby"

"My Mind Hangs on to You"

"The Hand of Love"

"Margarita"

"Too Many Memories"

"I Changed My Mind"

"How Far Our Love Goes"

"Fine as Wine"

"Word Games"

"If I'm Losing You"

"Don't Stop in My World (If You Don't Mean to Stay)"

"(Here I Am) Alone Again"

"Love You All to Pieces"

"Instead of Givin' Up (I'm Givin' In)"

"(If You Can) Why Can't I"

"It Always Brings Me Back Around to You"

"Ringgold, Georgia" (with Brenda Kaye Perry)

"Carlena and Jose Gomez"

"It's Not Over Till It's Over"

"You're a Violin That Never Has Been Played"

"Lawyers"

"Sweet Lovin' Things"

"Rainbow and Roses"

"A Little Bit Short on Love (A Little Bit Long on Tears)"

"You Turn My Love Light On"

"Answer Game"

"One Away from One Too Many"

"Pardon My Asking"

1985 "Coffee Brown Eyes"

1988 "Wild Texas Rose"

Singles from collaboration albums Year Single Artist US Country Album 1972 "Gone (Our Endless Love)" Mike Curb Congregation 24 The Billy Walker Show 1980 "Let Me Be the One" Barbara Fairchild 74 Bye Bye Love "Bye Bye Love" 70 "Love's Slipping Through Our Fingers (Leaving Time on Our Hands)" 79