Jerry Jeff Walker

Outlaw country pioneer Jerry Jeff Walker is probably most noted for his hit, "Mr. Bojangles." But it was his smooth voice, textured country songs and a reputation for heavy partying that gained him a large cult following. Although he hails from New York, Walker made Austin, Texas, his home in the 1970s, where he befriended the late, great Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and the Red Headed Stranger, Willie Nelson. Walker got his musical start with the New York City village folk-rock outfit, Circus Maximus. He recorded a couple of albums with them for the Vanguard label before the band split in 1968. Although the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had more success with Walker's "Mr. Bojangles" in 1971, he was able to enjoy the success of a gold record that he recorded in 1973 with country music loons, The Lost Gonzo Band. Viva Terlingua was his best selling album, capturing the almost suave and twangy swagger as well as the dusty laments that Walker was born to sing.