So on this day in 1942 in Oneonta, NY, one Ronald Clyde Crosby, aka Jacky Jack, and more well-known as Jerry Jeff Walker was born!! Jerry Jeff’s music has been a part of the musical soundtrack of my life since the late 1960s. And his music has been with me as I walked across the campus of the University of Florida singing “High Hill Country Rain”, to rocking my children to sleep to “Mr Bojangles”, to sending my son’s best friend into hysterics over “Pissin’ in the Wind” and of course “Redneck Mother” is always just a moment away in that jukebox in my head! The first few songs on his album Navajo Rug can for some reason always pull me out of a bad mood. His music introduced me to songwriters like Guy Clark, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Bill Staines and the great Chris Wall as well as a myriad of other Texas musicians!! Ok so I could go on and on about Jerry Jeff but Jerry Jeff over the years has spread the celebration of his birthday over three days, performing concerts in Luckenbach and in Austin, so I think that it’s only fitting that I at least spread it over at least ONE day. So with that thought in mind, I will post Jerry Jeff songs throughout the day today. I can hear my wife now, oh joy! NOT!
So let’s kick off the birthday celebration using the song that JJW uses to start his concerts “Gettin’ By” from Viva Terlingua!
