Charlie Walker

Charlie Walker was born in Copeville, Texas, in 1926, where he grew up on a farm and spent his days picking cotton. He was introduced to country music and Western swing at an early age and began performing in his early teens. When only 17 he joined Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers singing in honky tonks throughout Dallas.

In 1944 Walker enlisted in the U.S. Army and entered into his radio broadcasting career. While stationed in Japan he served as a disc jockey for the American Forces Radio Network. After the war he formed the Texas Ramblers and began performing in the Corpus Christi area. He moved to San Antonio in 1951 and was hired as an on-air personality at KMAC Radio.

Known as "ol' polk salad … cotton-pickin’ … boll-pullin’ … corn-shuckin’ … snuff-dippin’ Charlie Walker" … he quickly gained a large and loyal fan base. He remained with the station for 10 years and became one of the nation's top 10 country music disc jockeys. After leaving KMAC, he joined KENS radio for two years, before leaving San Antonio for Nashville.

Despite his renown as a broadcaster, Walker continued performing, and in 1952 he signed to Imperial Records. Over his long career, he would record for several labels and in 1958 released a song that was a smash hit, selling millions of copies, and became his signature song.

INSERT SHORT CUT FROM “PICK ME UP ON YOUR WAY DOWN”.

In 1962 Charlie Walker received one of the highest honors awarded by the State of Texas when he was named a Favorite Son of Texas. In 1967 he was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry where he would perform for 40 years. Because of his powerful and influential history in San Antonio radio, Charlie was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1981. He was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. Charlie Walker passed away in 2008.