Mexia’s Cindy Walker gets salute as songwriter from Willie Nelson

Published 6:00 am Saturday, March 14, 2020

On this date in 2006, Willie Nelson released “You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker.”

The album featured 13 hit songs written or co-written by the Mexia native beginning in the late 1930s.

Eddy Arnold, Jimmy Vale, Ray Charles and Mickey Gilley all had hits with versions of the album’s title song.

Walker was one of the most successful country music writers for decades.

 In the Spotlight

— 2019: Golden native Kacey Musgraves performs on the “iHeartRadio Music Awards” show and Terrell native Jamie Foxx is one ofthe presenters.

— 2018 Golden native Kacey Musgraves’ “Golden Hour” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and her single, “High Horse,” peaks at No. 40 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

— 2018: Longview native Forest Whitaker is a guest on “Rachel Ray.”

— 2015: Texarkana native David Crowder scores a No. 3 hit on the Billboard Christian Hot Singles chart with “Come as You Are.”

— 2011: Brady Smith, who attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, appears on “Harry’s Law.”

— 2010: The documentary “When I Rise” debuts chronicling the controversy that erupted when Atlanta native and African-American Barbara Smith Conrad, while at The University of Texas, was cast in an opera as the lover of a white man.

— 2006: The fourth season of Nashville star begins with Casey Rivers of Lindale and Shy Blakeman of Nacogdoches as contestants. Neither wins. 

— 2006: Alan Tudyk, who attended Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, voices Cholly in the video game “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown.”

— 2004: Tyler native Josh Carpenter appears in episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

 — 1995: Tyler native Phyllis Cicero plays Stella the Storyteller on “Barney & Friends.”

— 1981: Palestine native Gene Watson’s “Any Way You Want Me” peaks at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. 

— 1977: Tommy Tune, who attended Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, is a guest on “The Mike Douglas Show.”

— 1975: Mount Vernon native Don Meredith has an acting role on “Police Woman.”

— 1974: The Eagles, featuring Linden native Don Henley, perform on the TV series “Rock Concert.”

— 1974: Honey Grove native Bill Erwin has a part in the movie “Candy Stripe Nurses.”

— 1970: Whitewright native Guy Wilkerson is seen on “Adam-12.”

— 1959: The Coasters, featuring Tyler native Carl Gardner, score a No. 2 Billboard singles pop hit with “Charlie Brown.” 

— 1951: Tyler native Jo-Carroll Dennison, the 1942 Miss America, has a guest role on the TV series “Stars Over Hollywood.”