Archive Jerry Jeff Walker has sold out two nights at Gruene Hall. Not bad for a guy with just a ‘guitar and some sheets of paper.’

Jerry Jeff Walker has written a renowned, frequently covered song (“Mr. Bojangles”), become a legend in the Texas folk/country scene and even had his laid-back approach compared to that of Jimmy Buffett. He has also played before packed houses at Gruene Hall on numerous occasions, which is why it makes sense that Walker will play not one, but two shows at Gruene Hall — Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15. Before playing the pair of gigs, Walker talked to 210SA about his storied career and his rather wide variety of fans.
 

How have you been able to stay in the music business for so long?

I always sort of felt like I was in it for the long haul. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, and I was pretty crazy bouncing around, but I thought that if I did all the things I wanted to, people might be interested to come and find me. I guess they have.

If you could go back and give advice to a young Jerry Jeff Walker, what would you tell him?

Well, I told my son (Django Walker) to be famous, then you can deal with everything. It sort of helps to have people know when your sign goes up on the door, that there's an interest in you. He said, “If you have any advice on how to do that, let me know.”

You've been called a Texas version of Jimmy Buffett. Is that an accurate comparison?

Jimmy's pretty smart about (the business). He's controlled it and worked it, from Corona to Margaritaville to XM Radio (actually, Sirius satellite radio). I watch it and participate, but I don't really get into running it all. I don't have a studio, and I don't do that sort of stuff. It's just me, my guitar and some sheets of paper. I write to amuse myself ..... (Buffett) has sold an image of Caribbean life, and I've sold the image of a gypsy song man.

What's it like to write a song in “Mr. Bojangles” that may very well live on forever?

When you're doing (songs), you don't know how much they're going to be liked ..... I went over to England once, and a bartender at a hotel saw me sign something, and he said, “I know Texas music.” There had been a big splash over there with (British pop star) Robbie Williams. He (covered) “Mr. Bojangles,” and all of a sudden, I had a mega-hit on another continent. (The song) has got a lot of stuff in it, and a lot of different genres can do it. I heard a heavy metal version of it in Switzerland once.

Looking out into the crowd at your shows, who are Jerry Jeff Walker's fans?

They're kind of all over the map. A lot of them have been aware of my music for a lot of years, and a lot of college kids are coming too. They're not the over-the-top college kids. The ones that go to Kenny Chesney don't usually go to my shows, because it's for those who look for more in (the music). They want something more in it. I don't write great songs, but they're songs that mean something to me. That's a good thing to have. My career is based on stuff I wanted to say.

How are some of the younger fans being exposed to your music?

Brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and dads. Some have said that if they took a trip to Colorado to go skiing, they played the music in the car. They had (the music) around until they could buy their own ..... The crowds usually have a good time, and it's the kind of crowd people don't mind being in.

Is there anyone you would have liked to have played music with, but never got to?

I don't really do much (collaborating) with people because I didn't really seek out what the coolest avenues were ..... But I would have liked to have heard Ray Charles do “Mr. Bojangles.”

CLINT HALE | 210SA