Junior walker biography
Junior Walker
American musical artist (–)
Junior Walker | |
|---|---|
Junior Walker in | |
| Birth name | Autry DeWalt Mixon |
| Born | ()June 14, Blytheville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | November 23, () (aged&#;64) Battle Creek, Michigan |
| Genres | R&B, pop, rock, soul[1] |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Tenor saxophone, vocals |
| Years active | – |
| Labels | Motown, Whitfield |
Musical artist
Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr. (June 14, – November 23, ), recognizable professionally as Junior Walker, was an American multi-instrumentalist (primarily saxophonist) and vocalist who recorded for Motown during the s.
He also performed as a session and live-performing saxophonist with the band Foreigner during the s.[1]
Early life
Walker was born Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr. on June 14, , in Blytheville, Arkansas, but grew up in South Tilt, Indiana.
He began playing saxophone while in high school, and his saxophone style was the anchor for the sound of the bands he later played in.
Career
His career started when he developed his own band in the mids as the Jumping Jacks.[1] His longtime companion and drummer Billy Nicks (–) formed his own group, the Rhythm Rockers.
Periodically, Nicks would sit in on Jumping Jack's shows, and Walker would settle in on the Rhythm Rockers shows.
Nicks obtained a everlasting gig at a local TV station in South Bend, Indiana, and asked Walker to connect him and keyboard player Fred Patton permanently.
Junior Walker was an influential Motown saxophonist, vocalist, and leader of Jr. His mother sought work in South Bend, Indiana, not long after Junior was born. When Walker was around three or four, she turned him over to Plez and Verna DeWalt, who took care of him for thirteen years. Walker, came from his stepfather, Roosevelt Walker.Nicks asked Willie Woods (–), a local singer, to perform with the group; Woods would study how to play guitar. When Nicks was 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 left the group, and Victor Thomas stepped in.[1] The original name, The Rhythm Rockers, was changed to "The All Stars." Walker's way was inspired by jump blues and early R&B, particularly players like Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, and Illinois Jacquet.[1]
The group was spotted by Johnny Bristol, and in he recommended them to Harvey Fuqua, who had his own record labels.[1] Once the group started recording on the Harvey label, their name was changed to Jr.
Walker & the All Stars. The entitle 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 Essence imprint in [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",[2] 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 and No.&#;1 on the R&B chart in , and was followed by many other hits, such as "(I'm a) Road Runner", "Shake and Fingerpop" and remakes of two Motown songs "Come See About Me" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", that had previously been hits for the Supremes and Marvin Gaye respectively.[2] In , Graves left and was replaced by old cohort Billy "Stix" Nicks, and Walker's hits continued apace with tunes such as "I'm a Highway Runner" and "Pucker Up Buttercup".[1]
In , the group had another hit enter the top 5, "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)".[2][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 solo , whereupon it reached No.&#;4 on the Hot and No.&#;1 on the R&B chart.
From that time on, Walker sang more on the records than earlier in their career.[2] He landed several more R&B Top Ten hits over the next scant years, with the last coming in [1] He toured the UK in with drummer Jerome Teasley (Wilson Pickett), guitarist Phil Wright (brother of Betty "Clean Up Woman" Wright), keyboardist Sonny Holley (The Temptations) and the youthful Liverpool UK bassist Norm Bellis (Apple).
The band played two venues on each of the 14 nights. The finale was at The Valbonne in London's West End. They were joined on stage by The Four Tops for an impromptu set. In , Walker went solo, disbanding the All Stars, and was signed to Norman Whitfield's Whitfield Records label,[1] but he was not as achieving on his own as he had been with the All Stars in his Motown period.
Walker re-formed the All Stars in the s. On April 11, , Walker was the musical guest on the season finale of Saturday Night Live.
Born Autry DeWalt, Jr. During the heyday of Motown Records, built largely upon a roster of vocal groups and spin-off soloists like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, none of the label's great instrumentalists received their due credit, let alone the opportunity to shine in the spotlight. However, Junior Walker, one of popular music's premier saxophonists and leader of Motown's Junior Walker and the All Stars, stood as the lone exception. Although his songs often featured vocals, it was Walker's tenor saxophone solo wailings--combining equal parts Illinois Jacquet high-note squeals, Coleman Hawkins throaty growls, and Midwest soul--that characterized the All Stars' work.Foreigner's album 4 featured Walker's sax solo on "Urgent".[2] He later recorded his control version of the song for the All Stars's album Blow the House Down.[3] Walker's version was also featured in the Madonna film Desperately Seeking Susan.
In , Walker was re-signed with Motown.[1] In the similar year, he appeared as a part of the Motown 25 television special which aired on May 16,
In , Walker played opposite Sam Moore as one-half of the fictional spirit 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
Walker died of cancer at the age of 64 in Battle Creek, Michigan, on November 23, [1] He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek under a marker inscribed with both his birth mention of Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr.
and his stage name.
Awards and honors
Junior Walker & the All Stars received three Grammy Award nominations:[4]
He was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in Walker's "Shotgun" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in Jr.
Walker & the All Stars were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in [5]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] | US R&B [6] | ||||
Shotgun
| 1 | ||||
Soul Session
| 7 | ||||
Road Runner
| 64 | 6 | |||
Home Cookin'
| 26 | ||||
Gotta Hold on to This Feeling
| 92 | 12 | |||
A Gassssssssss!
| 28 | ||||
Rainbow Funk
| 91 | 12 | |||
Moody Jr.
| 22 | ||||
| Peace and Understanding Is Hard to Find | — | 47 | |||
| Jr.Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr. June 14, — November 23,known professionally as Junior Walkerwas an American multi-instrumentalist primarily saxophonist and vocalist who recorded for Motown during the s. He also performed as a session and live-performing saxophonist with the band Foreigner during the s. He began playing saxophone while in high school, and his saxophone style was the anchor for the sound of the bands he later played in. Walker & the All Stars
| — | — | |||
| Hot Shot | — | 45 | |||
| Sax Appeal | — | — | |||
| Whopper Bopper Reveal Stopper | — | — | |||
| Smooth | — | — | |||
Back Street Boogie
| — | 72 | |||
| Blow the House Down | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Live albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] | US R&B [6] | ||||
"Live!"
| 22 | ||||
Live
| — | 22 | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] | US R&B [6] | ||||
Greatest Hits
| 43 | 19 | |||
| Greatest Hits, Vol.
2(UK-only)
| — | — | |||
Anthology
| — | — | |||
Greatest Hits(UK-only)
| — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Singles
| Year | Title (A-side / B-side) (Both sides from same album except where indicated) | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] | US R&B [6] | UK [7] | ||||
| "Twist Lackawanna" b/w "Willie's Blues" (Non-album track) | — | — | — | Road Runner | ||
| "Cleo's Mood" b/w "Brainwasher" (from Soul Session) | — | — | — | Shotgun | ||
| "Good Rockin'" b/w "Brainwasher Pt. 2" (Non-album track) | — | — | — | Soul Session | ||
| "Satan's Blues" b/w "Monkey Jump" (from Shotgun) | — | — | — | |||
| "Shotgun" b/w "Hot Cha" | 4 | 1 | — | Shotgun | ||
| "Do the Boomerang" b/w "Tune Up" | 36 | 10 | — | |||
| "Shake and Fingerpop"[8] / | 29 | 7 | — | |||
| "Cleo's Back" | 43 | 7 | — | |||
| "(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 | — | |||
| "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' | ||
| "Hip Urban area, Pt.
2" | 31 | 7 | — | |||
| "Home Cookin'" b/w "Mutiny" | 42 | 19 | — | |||
| "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 | ||
| "Gotta Clutch 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 | — | |||
| "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 | |||
| "Walk in the Night" b/w "I Don't Want to Do Wrong" | 46 | 10 | 16 | Moody Jr. | ||
| "Groove Thang" b/w "Me and My Family" | — | — | — | |||
| "Gimme That Beat (Part 1)" b/w "Gimme That Beat (Part 2)" | — | 50 | — | Peace & Understanding Is Hard to Find | ||
| "I Don't Depend on No Reason" b/w "Country Boy" | — | — | — | |||
| "Peace and Understanding (Is Strenuous to Find)" b/w "Soul Clappin'" | — | — | — | |||
| "Dancin' Like They Do on Soul Train" b/w "I Ain't That Easy to Lose" | — | — | — | Jr.For the Record …. As a teenager living in South BendIndianaWalker received his first saxophone from an uncle. Hoping to broaden his name throughout the Midwest, he subsequently moved to St. Louis, Missourithen in the lates to Battle Creek, Michigan. Walker & the All Stars | ||
| "I'm So Glad" b/w "Soul Clappin'" (from Peace & Understanding Is Difficult to Find) | — | — | — | Hot Shot | ||
| "You Ain't No Ordinary Woman" b/w "Hot Shot" | — | — | — | |||
| "Hard Love" b/w "Whopper Bopper Show Stopper" (from Whopper Bopper Show Stopper) | — | — | — | Smooth | ||
| "Wishing on a Star" b/w "Back Street Boogie" | — | 89 | — | Back Street Boogie | ||
| "Back Street Boogie" b/w "Don't Let Me Go Astray" | — | — | — | |||
| "Blow the Home Down" b/w "Ball Baby" | — | — | — | Blow the House Down | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
See also
References
- ^ abcdefghijklmnoHuey, Steve.
"Junior Walker". AllMusic. Retrieved September 24,
- ^ abcdeColin Larkin, ed.
Junior Walker & the Allstars were an American Motown essence group who achieved their greatest fame in the s and s. The group’s lineup consisted of Jr. Walker (born Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr.; saxophone), Ronnie Smith (drums), Billy Nicks (trumpet) and Tony Washington (trombone).
(). The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music (First&#;ed.). Guinness Publishing. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
- ^Hamilton, Andrew. "Junior Walker & the All-Stars: Blow the House Down". AllMusic.
Junior Walker was an influential Motown saxophonist, vocalist, and leader of Jr. Walker & the All Stars. Walker’s band was most celebrated for R&B hits including “Shotgun,” “Do the Boomerang,” “How Pleasant It Is (To Be Loved by You),” and “Pucker Up Buttercup.”.
Retrieved October 17,
- ^"Junior Walker And The All Stars". Grammy Awards.
- ^"Michigan Rock and Roll Legends". . Retrieved September 24,
- ^ abcdefgh"Charts & Awards".
AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 16,
- ^Roberts, David (). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th&#;ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
- ^Gilliland, John ().
"Show 26 – The Heart Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story.
Junior Walker and The All Stars - ClassicBands.com: Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr. (June 14, – November 23, ), famous professionally as Junior Walker, was an American multi-instrumentalist (primarily saxophonist) and vocalist who recorded for Motown during the s.[Part 5]"(audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
Track 7.