If there’s anything I’ve learned about country music over the last seventeen years of the AC it’s that whenever I think I know something it, inevitably, opens up a door to an area I know nothing about. In 2018 (one year out for some reason) we paid a tribute to Cindy Walker who had been a century before (2017). On that night we included significant cuts by her fellow Texans including songs from Willie Nelson who had brought out an entire Cindy Walker album shortly before her death in 2006.
However if you dig deeper into the Cindy Walker story you find that her songs cry out for women’s voices . Of course with a catalogue of 500 plus songs it’s almost impossible to have a complete collection. That being said Grey De Lisle, actor, voice over superstar and folk singer, has assembled a fine array of country and Americana women to contribute versions of Cindy songs for a new compilation of her songs. ‘It’s All Her Fault’ has been released as a celebration of Cindy Walker’s art but also to raise money for the home where she lived with her mother and in which she wrote nearly all her songs every day of her working life. That house has now fallen into disrepair and the ambition of this new album is to raise the necessary funds to turn the house into a living museum celebrating Cindy Walker’s songwriting – an ambition I endorse. The more I’ve read of Cindy Walker the more admiration I have for a remarkable career and for someone who showed remarkable chutzpah in getting her songs heard in the first place. As Elizabeth Cook sang, sometimes it takes balls to be a woman.
When Cindy was finally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997 she left the stage to a standing ovation and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Harlan Howard described her as “the greatest living songwriter of country music.”
Grey De Lisle and her fellow performers put together a great selection of songs which will only make you want to dig deeper into the Cindy Walker story. On this week’s show we’ll play a track from the compilation by one of our favourite artsts, Amythyst Kiah as well as hear one of her most successful cuts and a selection sung by the songwriter herself.
You know, of course, we’ll have so much more too including beautiful new songs from Kelsea Ballerina, Stephen Wilson Jr and even an early festive offering from The Old Crow guys. It’s all in two hours of country music – our way – this Tuesday from five past eight on BBC Sounds or BBC Radio Scotland. Join me if you can.