Walker, Charlie, 1926-2008

Charlie Walker was born in Copeville, Texas, United States in 1926.[2] In 1943, Walker joined Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers, and during World War II, he served as a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Radio Network.

Walker worked as a disc jockey in from 1951 until 1961 at KMAC and then from 1961 up to 1963 at KENS in San Antonio, Texas, before signing with Decca Records. His first hit, "Only You, Only You" was co-written with Jack Newman and reached No. 9 on the country chart in January 1956. Walker later signed with Columbia Records and reached No. 2 with a Harlan Howard song, "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down". His other hits include "Who Will Buy the Wine", "Wild as a Wildcat", "Don't Squeeze My Sharmon", and "I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dogfight." Many of his records featured harmony vocals by Ray Price. His more popular recordings were of honky-tonk numbers, such as "Close All the Honky Tonks", and "Honky Tonk Women". Walker played a minor role in the 1985 Patsy Cline biographical film, Sweet Dreams.

Walker died of colon cancer in September 2008, at the age of 81 in Hendersonville, Tennessee.