"Mr. Bojangles, Dance"

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Every now and then the death of musician will hit me between the eyes. This is one of those times. Jerry Jeff Walker isn't a household name, but he gave us a song that is a household name: "Mr. Bojangles." Based on a chance encounter in a New Orleans jail, "Mr. Bojangles" was a bomb when Jerry Jeff released it himself. However, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band covered it and had a good-sized country hit with it. Then Sammy Davis Jr. did a version of it that became so synonymous with him that it's hard to believe Walker didn't write it specifically for Davis. The royalties enabled Walker to do whatever he wanted in music. And what he wanted to do was make music on his own terms. I've said this before, and it bears repeating: Jerry Jeff Walker never got enough credit for his role in the "outlaw country" movement. He didn't call it "outlaw." Instead, he called it "gonzo country." And that was five years before Waylon and Willie and the boys! Come to think of it, Jerry Jeff put Luckenbach, Texas on the map before that song. Walker's recording of the classic album ¡Viva Terlingua! occurred in Luckenbach (which is what prompted Willie and Waylon to "immortalize" the town). There's a nod to him at the end of that song: "Between the Hank Williams pain songs, Jerry Jeff's train songs, and 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.'" (For the record, I guess "Jerry Jeff's train songs" would amount to "Railroad Lady," which he co-wrote with Jimmy Buffett. Walker did cover "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train," but that was written by Guy Clark.) In 2017 Walker was diagnosed with throat cancer. Although treatments initially worked, he announced a few months ago that the cancer had returned. Yesterday (10/23) he lost his battle. Mr. Bojangles, dance for Jerry Jeff. Walker was 78. Jerry Jeff singing his classic "Mr. Bojangles":