Los Angeles Times
Jerry Jeff Walker, a Texas country singer and songwriter who wrote the pop song “Mr. Bojangles,” has died at age 78.
Walker died Friday of cancer, family spokesman John T. Davis told the Associated Press.
“He had battled throat cancer for many years, and some other health issues,” Davis said Saturday.
Walker emerged from New York’s Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s and he was a founding member of the band Circus Maximus. He moved to Texas in the 1970s and in 1972 scored a hit with his version of the Guy Clark song “L.A. Freeway.” More
Jerry Jeff performing the song I’ll always remember him by. Watch
One of my favorites during my cowboy phase. Viva Terlingua was a great live album. Red Neck Mother, and others
M is for the mud flaps give me for my pick up truck
O is for the oil I put on my hair
T is for T-Bird (or tits depending on which version you have)
H is Haggard
E is for eggs, and…
R is for REDNECK!!
RIP JJW
That’s really sad.
I didn’t know his work except for that mr. bojangles song.
(Which I really hate. lol) Had no idea he was country.
correction: …the mud flaps YOU give me…
When you outlaw Jerry Jeff Walker, everyone who’s like Jerry Jeff Walker will be outlaws. RIP.
Mr. Bojangles joins his dog. RIP Jerry Jeff Walker.
Another good guy down. RIP Mr. Walker!
I saw him and John Prine together at a concert at Eastern Wash. University in Cheney in the late 70’s. Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother was one of my favorite songs of his. Who’s next, Kinky Friedman? Willie Nelson or will he live forever like Keith Richards because of all the drugs he has taken and smoked.
MJA, how can you hate Mr. Bojangles as sung by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, it’s one of the greatest sad songs ever. I can understand hating MacArthur Park by Richard Harris which was an overrated sappy junk song. By the way Mr. Bojangles was also the name of the mouse who lived forever in The Green Mile which is a great movie.
He is a circus mouse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90KXzXE4afs
You’re right it is Mr. Jingles.
I met him in a cell on death row I was
down and out
Circus mouse Jingles
Circus mouse Jingles
Circus mouse Jingles
Fetch
…you know, we have many friends here at iOTW that have sufferered the scourge of cancer, and many times many that have lost a loved one to cancer. Cancer has cost us many patriot voices here, and cancer has been no friend of mine either as I am very tired of seeing the insides of funeral homes so I can see the outside shell of a family member that has gone home to the Lord.
We joke about cancer here sometimes, as we joke about everything, it’s origins, treatments, and final outcomes, and I can get on board with that most times as I have used black humor my whole life to deal with tragedy myself, to the point that it sometimes results in some thoughtlessly inappopriate commments at times of greif as I have said before. Humor is a wonderful defense and coping mechanism against our and our loved ones’ ultimate mortality, but there’s a time and a place and I won’t be doing so here and today. I know it’s likely I have offended here by some comments in some grief situations, and I do truly apologize for that, it’s just my nature as I’ve said before, and the only thing at times that has kept me off the deep end myself. I don’t say this to excuse but to explain, and if any are greived by such things from any commenter, please remember that I am not alone in this and that there is no ill-will meant to any personally when this happens and we do not make light of your pain, we’re just trying to front for our own.
The list of the stricken just here and now in this space is long and I would be certain to miss someone due to my poor memory for names, but I know because he has told us that Brad in particular suffers specifically from throat cancer, as did Mr. Walker, and so I would ask his indulgence in standing in for all who suffer from all cancers here as I offer a prayer, for him, and for so many others. I apologize to him if he feels I am praying amiss, that he does not need prayer, or believes that prayer is best given for others, but my belief is that we ALL need prayer and that the Lord is big enough to cover ALL needs, so I must do as the Spirit would lead.
Dear Lord, we stand before you today in sorrow that another has been taken from us by cancer, and we ask that you comfort that man’s freinds and family, his loved ones and those who loved him, that they may be comforted that He rests in Your mercy, and that they use their grief to draw ever closer to You and stand on Your word that beyond this short life there is more than memory, and that we may all see each other together at Your feet and be very joyously reunited indeed.
And Lord, by his loss we are reminded of those of this world that still struggle with this scourge, who have fought the good fight and are still fighting it to this day. Dear Lord, we ask that You minister to our brother Brad who we know only as a name and an idea but have come to care for through his comments here and interactions with us as a good-hearted, quick tempered man who would be missed even here were he taken from us by this affliction he battles, and that for his sake and ours that You walk around him, he and all those who suffer today, that you guide the minds and the hands of physicans and surgeons and oncologists to do the most good for these patiens, that you lead them as their Ultimate Physican even as you strenghten Brad and all those who suffer, steel them to the torments of the treatments they must undergo, give them the the ability to overcome and to enjoy the life You gave them, to eat and laugh and be able to be with their families in ways that non-cancer patients take for granted, and allow them to share their wisdom with us for as long as possible, until You can no longer wait to have them home with You as they desire.
Dear Lord, even this cold medium can be a testament to Your love and Your power, and we have heard many a good report of illnesses being overcome right here to Your glory, and we look forwards to hearing the testimonies of these when they, too, surprise their doctors when You make Your healing on them before their next visit to that oncologist.
Please touch our Brad and all those here and everywhere who suffer, and those who suffer with them, and those who would suffer for them if they could, and give us all Your Blessed Assurance that with Your help and grace we will be with You one day in incorruptable bodies that will suffer no more.
And we ask it all in the precious, mighty name of Jesus,
Amen
God Bless,
SNS
Amen, SNS.
Amen, SNS. Cancer sucks and God heals no matter what the outcome of the cancer is, whether we lose a loved one or not, God is still and always has been faithful. I don’t know why my wife died from leukemia or at least a handful of friends over the past couple of years and why I am still healthy at almost 68. I count my blessings everyday and hope that I can live as long as my mom and dad, my dad was almost 89, my mom was just short of 93, they had been married for 65 and a half years, my dads next older brother was 89 and my dads oldest brother was 99 and half when he passed away a couple of years ago and lived a very long and productive life being born in Sept. 1918 (2 months before the end of World War 1) until March 2018. My grandparents never made it past their early 70’s and I’m almost as old as they were now when they died. Every day is a blessing and I’m looking forward to many more years yet, God willing.
Wow SNS, Thank You. I’m not going to lie, having two of my favorite performers die from throat cancer in the space of two weeks has me a little concerned. Keep PJ and AA in your prayers as well. The Docs seem to be amazed at my recovery. But I’m on a mission in the gym.
I guess I better stop missing some of the Doctor appointments. LOL
Brad
OCTOBER 25, 2020 AT 2:34 PM
“Keep PJ and AA in your prayers as well.”
…Indeed I do lift them to the Lord as well. PJ has reached out to me privately before over some times she felt I could use uplifted, and I’ve not seen her here in awhile but I don’t like to get up in people’s business privately, so I’ve just doubled down in prayer, she’s quite a lady and a fierce warrior for the Lord even in her weakened state and we need her on this side as long as it pleases the Lord. I’ve seen nothing that wasn’t good from Abigail as well, had some good discussions with her here in this forum as I’m sure everyone has seen, and she’s quite a force of nature in her own right and is also always grounded and centered in the Lord as she should be, and is a great light for Him here as well, and we need her more than ever too, so prayers as well.
But like I said, there’s so many and I don’t want to slight anyone with my poor memory, so I trust that the Lord knows and remembers all that I would lift up to him even if I don’t, and I thank Him and praise Him for the healing He brings either way, as Geoff says above, as it isn’t always as WE want, but He does what’s best in ALL cases, and those separated from us are healed with Him, and do not miss this world when wrapped in His glory.
And I pray to be with them before Him one day as well, althogh I’m not sure what an iOTW meet up in Heaven will be like because we for SURE aren’t gonna care about any of THIS.
And, next to being near Him, maybe THAT will be the sweetest part of ALL.
God bless us all,
SNS
Jerry would walk up on the stage with a six pack and his guitar. He patiently set down the sixer, adjusted the mic stand, toke a hit off a joint and vocally count to three as the smoke exited from his lungs…and began to play.
He’s in Red Neck Heaven now with a big old grin on his face.
Brad, this is the first I have heard about your cancer. I am glad that you have recovered – let’s hope it stays in remission for many many years to come. And to AA and PJ and any others who are dealing with this affliction, I pray that God will look favorably upon you and lay his healing hand upon you.
I first read about JJW years ago in a Playboy article wherein the author met him in an airport, “waving in invisible breezes while the other passengers competed to ignore him.”
RIP.
stirrin the pot
Proof positive that God has a sense of humor. LOL.
stirrin the pot
When I was twenty something me and my pals were all pretty hard rockers and then, it happened. Disco. One of us purchased a Merle Haggard 8 track. We all got hooked. That was the catalyst for a lot of people my age group moving to country. Good stuff back then. And the Urban Cowboy to Country main stream and wrecked what they played on the FM. But we had a local station, KFAT, that played nothing but Outlaw Country and Blue Grass. A great station. They played a ton of Jerry Jeff Walker. A great talent. Nobody is replacing these guys.
Mr Bojangles was one of the first songs I learned how to play on the geettar.
Thanks JJW and RIP.
And Thanks to SNS for the basics and Brad, for being… Frank.
@Brad – I suspect that we had similar musical progressions at similar times. I was a rocker, a southern and California country rocker and bluegrasss fan from the years ’72 to ’80-something. While I had to endure disco during the mid to late 70’s, it never resonated or stuck with me. I was classic rock, island rock and country rock all the way. I stopped following new music during the 80’s – for better or worse. Jerry Jeff was a part of my collection back in the day.