Back to Starting Page

Bob Wills' Texas Playboys Recorded Live May 21, 2000 © SR-7711 Featuring Leon Rausch and Grammy Award Winner Tommy Allsup

Leon Rausch "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music of Cindy Walker Volume #1

Cindy Walker

Country Music Hall Of Fame Inductee

September 24, 1997

What the word "Sterling" means to silver, the name Cindy Walker means to Country Music. There is hardly a name in Country Music that has not recorded or sung a Cindy Walker song. Her songs have been recorded and performed in motion pictures and on T.V. by great names in the Pop Rock, Sacred, Gospel and Jazz fields.

It all began for Cindy when she came to Hollywood, California from Texas with her parents in the early 40's. An absolute unknow, she walked into the office of Larry Crosby and announced that she had written a song for Bing. Brother Larry agreed to listen, liked the song, and made an appointment for Cindy to sing it for Bing the next day at Paramount Studios, where Bing was working at the time. Bing heard it, and like it. Cindy's first recorded song was Lone Star Trail, recorded by Bing Crosby.

When Cindy went to Decca Records recording studio to make a "Demo" of the song for Bing, it was her good fortune that Dave Knapp, head of Decca at the time, heard her singing and offered a recording contract which resulted, later, in a hit for Cindy. Don't Talk To Me About Men was a song she wrote for her first session.

Cindy continued to write and record for Decca, and soon was making personal appearances. Top network radio shows and radio transcriptions were being heard daily across the country, in Canada, and foreign markets as well. Slowly but surely, Cindy was making herself, and her name, know to country music artists and fans alike.

At the same time, she was writing "Tailor made songs" for Gene Autry, Sons of the Pioneers, Tex Ritter, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Tex Allen, Wade Ray and Tennessee Ernie Ford, Spike Jones and The City Slickers, who all lived and recorded in Hollywood.

As her songs became popular for these artists, she began getting requests for songs for other recording artists from different parts of the country who came to Hollywood to record such as Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, Ernest Tubb, Al Dexter, Elton Britt, Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Red Foley. Songs she wrote for these artists include:

Blue Canadian Rockies...Bubbles In My Beer...Cherokee Maiden...Don't Be Ashamed Of You Age...Dusty Skies...The Gold Rush Is Over (And The Bum's Rush Is On)...Lorelei...Miss Molly...New Broom Boogie...Put Your Arms Around Me...Silver Spurs On The Golden Stairs...Take Me In Your Arms And Hold Me...Tater Pie... Triflin' Gal...And The Warm Red Wine...You're From Texas...Sugar Moon, all of which made the Number 1 and top ten in the Country Charts. Many of which are still "Standards" today.

While in Hollywood, she was also writing songs for Soundies (Videos) Universal, Republic and Monogram Pictures, as well as all the Words and Music to 39 songs for the 8 Columbia Motion Pictures, starring Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, the late and great King of Western Swing. These 39 Bob Wills Columbia Motion Picture Songs by Cindy have been published by Hall Leonard Publishing Corp. in a picture and song album titled, Song Souvenirs of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys featuring their recorded hits by Cindy Walker from 8 Columbia Motion Pictures.

Cindy also wrote the theme songs and music for the Billy Graham motion pictures,"Mr. Texas" and "Oil Town, USA" which included Christian Cowboy... Beloved Enemy and The Wide Rollin' Plains.

In the middle Fifties, Cindy returned home to Texas where she continued to write and turn out top songs such as:

Anna Marie...Answer The Phone...Born To Love You...China Doll...Distant Drums...Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)...Flyin' South...Give Me Love...Hey, Mr. Bluebird...Heaven Says, "Hello"...I Don't Care (If I'm Not The First)...In The Misty Moonlight...Sunshine Wine... Thank You For Calling...This Is It...You Are My Treasure...You Don't Know Me...

Cindy has also found time to write a hymn book titled, "Of Thee We Sing", containing 18 hymns which she wrote for Youth Choirs and Yound Adults, which contains the ever growing gospel favorite The Night Watch. It is featured in the George Beverly Shea Grammy Award Winner Album "Songs Of The Southland". Her lyrics and the sheet music of The Hill Country Theme, written for the television documentary Lyndon Johnson's Texas, has been made a part of The President Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, and was accepted into the archives by Mrs. Johnson.

Cindy is, and has always been, a Writer-Member of Broadcast Music, Inc. and a Nashville Million-Aires member. This organization is for writers whose songs have achieved 1,000,000 (one million) broadcast performances. She is honored that she was chosen to represent Country Music Writers in the House of the 86th Congress in Washington D.C.. She was present during the revision and passage of the Copyright Law.

Cindy is proud, too, that she is from Texas and has Texas parents. Her mother, Oree Walker, was a wonderful musician, and the daughter of Cindy's grandfather, F.L. Eiland, one of the great sacred song writers of the southwest who wrote, among many other great hymns, Hold To God's Unchanging Hand...Look Away From The Cross To The Glittering Crown...and The Hands That Were Nailed To The Tree.

Yes, Cindy's more than 500 recorded songs have been played and sung around the world by some of the greatest recording artists, but if you should ask her which is her favorite and her best, she would tell you, "China Doll" is my favorite, but my best ?... Well, I haven't written that yet, and maybe that is why Cindy's songs are among the best and the best is yet to come. Cindy was inducted into the NSAI Song Writers Hall Of Fame in 1970.

In 1990 and 1991, Cindy had the honor of being inducted into The Western Swing Hall of Fame in three states... Arizona, California, Texas. She is also the recipient of The Golden Guitar Award from The Texas Music Association.

Also, in 1990, her song You Don't Know Me was performed by the Academy Award nominated actress / singer of 1990 in the motion picture, "Post Cards From The Edge" by Meryl Streep. Her song Christian Cowboy, was featured in the highly acclaimed Broadway Production, "Smoke On The Water", now touring the world.

In 1996, You Don't Know Me, was performed in the motion picture, "Faces In The Mirror", starring Barbara Streisand and Lauren Bacall. Cindy was nominated for the CMA Hall Of Fame and was honored by the BBC Broadcasting Company in London, England for her song, Distant Drums, along with the late and great Jim Reeves, as his all time greatest recording in England. In 1996, she was inducted into The Washington State Western Swing Hall Of Fame.

In 1997, Cindy was excited by the new release A 50 Song Tribute To The Music Of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys by Leon Rausch and Tommy Allsup and the greatest musicains of Western Swing today. It includes songs written by her for the Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys in their 8 Columbia Motion Pictures made in the early Forties in Hollywood, California.

He composition, written for one of those films, will be used by the Microsoft Company for one of their CD Roms, "Miss Molly". Released in October 1997, was a C.D. of Cindy Walker singing her own songs titled "Words and Music" issued by Sony Records. In 1997, Cindy was honored by The Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium in Ruidoso, New Mexico, with "Cindy Walker Day", October 9th for which she composed Ruidoso, a new song which was introduced and performed by the great Leon Rausch of western swing fame.

Late happenings include induction into The Country Music Hall Of Fame on September 24, 1997, Nashville, TN. She was also honored by Don Edwards and Leon Rausch in Ft. Worth, Texas, with a tribute to her songs at the Scott Theatre. Her home town of Mexia, Texas, honored her with "A Cindy Walker Day", and the "Legends Award".

She received the 1998 Derrick Days Award from: Navarro County, The Lefty Frazzell Hall of Fame, The City of Corsicana, Texas, Radio Station KAND's Roy Miller, Bobby Fluker, and The Nite Lighters Bill Balwin Band.

She received Song Writer Of The Year, from Rope International, Professional Entertainers preserving the Integrity Of Country Music.

A seven hour broadcast of her songs and interviews, as to her beginnings, by John Fletcher, of KFJC Radio, Los Altos, California, the San Fransico Bay Area, Titled "The Cindy Walker Special, Who Wrote That Song?" will be presented to the public in five (5) 90minute cassettes in box form when licenses are completed.

Coming events include induction into the Texas Hall Of Fame, in Carthage, Texas, August 22, 1998, along with induction of Gene Autry, Jim Reeves, Tex Ritter, Willie Nelson, and Joe Allison.

Cindy will also be inducted into The Cowgirl Hall Of Fame, October 30, 1998 in Ft. Worth, Texas.

One of the highlights for Cindy was the acceptance of Ruidoso, the title of the song written for The Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium of Ruidoso, New Mexico...by the City of Ruidoso as it's official song.

Also, the upcoming release August 11, 1998 of Leon Rausch "Close To You" A 20 Song Salute To The Music of Cindy Walker Volume #1 SR-7627 © on SOUTHLAND RECORDS ®

Leon Rausch "Close To You

"A 20 Song Salute To The Music Of Cindy Walker" Volume #1 / SR-7627 ©

Featuring 5 Never Before Recorded Songs

Voted by The Academy Of Western Artist as The Album Of The Year for 1998/1999, including The Song Of The Year "Ruidoso".

SOUTHLAND RECORDS ® Is a Registered Trademark of SOUTHLAND RECORDS®, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

"Millions have enjoyed Leon Rausch as 'the voice' of Bob Wills Texas Playboys. Now let Leon touch you with his own special brand of country, western and swing vocals."