Junior Walker

Jr. Walker

Jr. Walker in 1966
Background information
Birth name Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr.
Born (1931-06-14)June 14, 1931
Blytheville, Arkansas, U.S.
Died November 23, 1995(1995-11-23) (aged 64)
Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
Genres R&B, soul, disco
Occupation(s) Singer, saxophonist, musician
Instruments Tenor saxophone, vocals
Years active 1945–1995
Labels Soul, Motown, Whitfield

Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr. (June 14, 1931 – November 23, 1995),[1] known by the stage name Junior Walker, styled as Jr. Walker, was an American musician. His group, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, were signed to Motown's Soul label in the 1960s, and became one of the company's signature acts.

Life and career

Walker was born Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr. in Blytheville, Arkansas,[1] and grew up in South Bend, Indiana. His saxophone style was the anchor for the band's overall sound. The other original members of the group were drummer Tony Washington, guitarist Willie Woods, and keyboardist Vic Thomas.

The 1950s

His career started when he developed his own band in the mid-1950s as the "Jumping Jacks."[1] His longtime friend Billy Nicks (drummer) formed his own team, the "Rhythm Rockers." Periodically, Nicks would sit in on Jumping Jack's shows, and Walker would sit in on the Rhythm Rockers shows.

Nicks obtained a permanent gig at a local TV station in South Bend, Indiana, and asked Walker to join him and his keyboard player (Fred Patton) permanently. Shortly after, Nicks asked Willie Woods, a local singer, to perform with the group; shortly after Woods would learn how to play guitar also. When Nicks got drafted into the United States Army, Walker convinced the band to move from South Bend to Battle Creek, Michigan.[1] While performing in Benton Harbor, Walker found a drummer, Tony Washington, to replace Nicks.[1] Eventually, Fred Patton (piano player) left the group, and Victor Thomas stepped in.[1] The original name, "The Rhythm Rockers," was changed to "The All Stars". Walker's squealing gutbucket style was inspired by jump blues and early R&B, particularly players like Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, and Illinois Jacquet.[1]

The 1960s and the 1970s

The group was spotted by Johnny Bristol, and he recommended them to Harvey Fuqua, in 1961, who had his own record labels.[1] Once the group started recording on the Harvey label, their name was changed to Jr. Walker All Stars. The name was modified again when Fuqua's labels were taken over by Motown's Berry Gordy, and Jr. Walker & the All Stars became members of the Motown family, recording for their Soul imprint in 1964.[1]

The members of the band changed after the acquisition of the Harvey label. Tony Washington, the drummer, quit the group, and James Graves joined. Their first and signature hit was "Shotgun," written and composed by Walker and produced by Berry Gordy, which featured the Funk Brothers' James Jamerson on bass and Benny Benjamin on drums. "Shotgun" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart in 1965, and was followed by many other hits, such as "(I'm A) Road Runner," "Shake and Fingerpop" and covers of the Motown songs "Come See About Me" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)". In 1966, Graves left and was replaced by old cohort Billy "Stix" Nicks, and Walker's hits continued apace with tunes such as "I'm a Road Runner" and "Pucker Up Buttercup".[1]

In 1969, the group had another hit enter the top 5, "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)".[1] A Motown quality control meeting rejected this song for single release, but radio station DJs made the track popular, resulting in Motown releasing it as a single, whereupon it reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart. From that time on Walker sang more on the records than earlier in their career. He landed several more R&B Top Ten hits over the next few years, with the last coming in 1972.[1] In 1979, Walker went solo, disbanding the All Stars, and was signed to Norman Whitfield's Whitfield Records label,[1] but he was not as successful on his own as he had been with the All Stars in his Motown period.

The 1980s

Jr. Walker

Walker re-formed the All Stars in the 1980s. Foreigner's 1981 album 4 featured Walker's blistering sax solo on "Urgent". On April 11, 1981, Walker was the musical guest on the season finale of Saturday Night Live. He later recorded his own version of the Foreigner song for the 1983 All Stars's album Blow the House Down.[2] Walker's version was also featured in the 1985 Madonna film Desperately Seeking Susan. In 1983, Walker was re-signed with Motown.[1]

In 1988, Walker played opposite Sam Moore as one-half of the fictional soul duo "The Swanky Modes" in the comedy Tapeheads. Several songs were recorded for the soundtrack, including "Bet Your Bottom Dollar" and "Ordinary Man," produced by ex-Blondie member Nigel Harrison.

Death

Jr. Walker died of cancer at the age of 64, in Battle Creek, Michigan, on November 23, 1995.[1] He had been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation that year. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Battle Creek, Michigan, under a marker inscribed with both his birth name of Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr., and his stage name.

Walker's "Shotgun" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.[3]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Year A-side, B-side
Both sides from same album except where indicated 		US Billboard
Hot 100[4] 		U.S. R&B[4] UK Singles
Chart[5] 		Album
1962 "Twist Lackawanna"
b/w "Willie's Blues" (Non-album track) 		- - - Road Runner
"Cleo's Mood"
b/w "Brainwasher" (from Soul Session) 		- - - Shotgun
1963 "Good Rockin'"
b/w "Brainwasher Pt. 2" (Non-album track) 		- - - Soul Session
1964 "Satan's Blues"
b/w "Monkey Jump" (from Shotgun)		- - -
1965 "Shotgun"
b/w "Hot Cha" 		4 1 - Shotgun
"Do The Boomerang"
b/w "Tune Up" 		36 10 -
"Shake and Fingerpop" [6] / 29 7 -
"Cleo's Back" 43 7 -
1966 "(I'm A) Road Runner"
b/w "Shoot Your Shot" 		20 4 12
"Cleo's Mood"
b/w "Baby You Know You Ain't Right" (from Road Runner) 		50 14 -
"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"
b/w "Nothing But Soul" 		18 3 22 Road Runner
"Money (That's What I Want), Pt.1"
b/w "Money (That's What I Want), Pt. 2" 		52 35 -
1967 "Pucker Up Buttercup"
b/w "Anyway You Wanta" 		31 11 -
"Shoot Your Shot"
b/w "Ain't That The Truth" 		44 33 - Shotgun
"Come See About Me"
b/w "Sweet Soul" 		24 8 - Home Cookin'
1968 "Hip City, Pt. 2"
b/w "Hip City, Pt. 1" 		31 7 -
"Home Cookin'"
b/w "Mutiny" 		42 19 -
1969 "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)"
b/w "Brainwasher (Part 1)" (from Soul Session) 		4 1 13
"These Eyes"
b/w "I've Got To Find A Way To Win Maria Back" 		16 3 - What Does It Take To Win Your Love
1970 "Gotta Hold On To This Feeling"
b/w "Clinging To The Thought That She's Coming Back" 		21 2 -
"Do You See My Love (For You Growing)"
b/w "Groove and Move" 		32 3 - A Gasssss
"Holly Holy" / 75 33 -
"Carry Your Own Load" - 50 -
1971 "Take Me Girl, I'm Ready"
b/w "Right On Brothers and Sisters" 		50 18 16 Rainbow Funk
"Way Back Home"
b/w "Way Back Home" (Instrumental) 		52 24 35
1972 "Walk In The Night"
b/w "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" 		46 10 16 Moody Jr.
"Groover Thang"
b/w "Me and My Family" 		- - -
1973 "Gimme That Beat (Part 1)"
b/w "Gimme That Beat (Part 2)" 		- 50 - Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find
"I Don't Need No Reason"
b/w "Country Boy" 		- - -
"Peace and Understanding (Is Hard To Find)"
b/w "Soul Clappin'" 		- - -
1974 "Dancin' Like They Do On Soul Train"
b/w "I Ain't That Easy To Lose" 		- - - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
1976 "I'm So Glad"
b/w "Soul Clappin'" (from Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find) 		- - -Hot Shot
"You Ain't No Ordinary Woman"
b/w "Hot Shot" 		- - -
1977 "Hard Love"
b/w "Whopper Bopper Show Stopper"
(from Whopper Bopper Stopper Show)		- - - Smooth
1979 "Wishing On A Star"
b/w "Back Street Boogie" 		- 89 - Back Street Boogie
"Back Street Boogie"
b/w "Don't Let Me Go Astray" 		- - -

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Biography by Steve Huey". Allmusic.com. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
  2. ↑ Hamilton, Andrew. "Junior Walker & the All-Stars: Blow the House Down". Allmusic. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  3. ↑ Jr. Walker and the All Stars
  4. 1 2 Allmusic – Charts & Awards
  5. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 590. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ↑ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 26 – The Soul Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story. [Part 5]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. Track 7.

External links

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