During the late 1950s, Crosby was a member of a local Oneonta teen band called The Tones. The band traveled to Philadelphia to audition for Dick Clark's "American Bandstand", but were turned down. Members of the band found Dick Clark's house and were able to get a recommendation to audition at New York City's Baton Records through the company's lead producer Sol Rabinowitz. The band was given a recording contract, but the studio wanted a quintet backed by studio musicians, which left Crosby and another member out of their recordings.
After high school, Crosby joined the National Guard, but his thirst for adventure led him to go AWOL and roam the country busking for a living in areas like New Orleans, Texas, Florida, and New York. He played mostly ukulele until Harriet Ottenheimer, one of the founders of The Quorum, got him settled on a guitar in 1963. He adopted his stage name "Jerry Jeff Walker" in 1966. He spent his early folk music days in Greenwich Village in the mid 1960s. He co-founded a band with Bob Bruno in the late 1960s called Circus Maximus that put out two albums one with the popular west coast hit "Wind", but Bruno's interest in jazz apparently diverged from Walker's interest in folk music. Walker thus resumed his solo career and recorded the seminal album "Mr. Bojangles" with the help of David Bromberg and other influential Atlantic recording artists. He settled in Austin, Texas, in the 1970s associating mainly with the country-rock outlaw scene that included artists such as Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Waylon Jennings, and Townes Van Zandt.
"Mr. Bojangles" (written by Walker) is perhaps his most well-known and most-often covered song. It was about an obscure alcoholic but talented tap-dancing drifter, (not the famous stage and movie dancer Bill Robinson, as usually assumed). Bojangles is thought to have been a folk character who entertained informally in the south of the US and California, and some say he might have been one of the most gifted natural dancers ever. Authentic reports of him exist from the 1920s through about 1965. Artists from Nina Simone to Bob Dylan, Philip Glass to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, have covered the song. Walker has also recorded songs written by others such as "LA Freeway" (Guy Clark), and "Up Against the Wall Red Neck Mother" (Ray Wylie Hubbard).
A string of records for MCA and Elektra followed Jerry Jeff's move to Austin, before he gave up on the mainstream music business and formed his own independent record label. Tried & True Music was founded in 1986, with his wife Susan as President and manager. Susan also founded Goodknight Music as his management company and Tried & True Artists for his bookings. A series of increasingly autobiographical records followed under the Tried & True imprint. Tried & True also sells his autobiography called "Gypsy Songman". In 2004, Jerry Jeff released his first DVD of songs from his past as performed in an intimate setting in Austin, TX.
He interpreted the songs of others like Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Keith Sykes, Paul Siebel, Bob Dylan, Todd Snider and even a rodeo clown named Billy Jim Baker.
His son, Django Walker, is also a musician. In addition to his residence in Austin, Walker had a retreat on Ambergris Caye in Belize where he recorded his "Cowboy Boots and Bathing Suits" album in 1998.
Members of his band varied over the years. The Lost Gonzo Band and the Gonzo Compadres have backed him in the past. Key members of his band included Craig Hillis - guitarist and arranger on Viva Terlingua, John Inmon, Freddy Krc, Gary P. Nunn, Bob Livingston, Bobby Rambo, Mitch Watkins, Steve Samuel, David Bromberg and others.
Charlie Dunn
Jerry Jeff Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little run down on your sole
I'm gonna tell you the name of a man to see
I'm gonna tell you right where to go
He's working in Capitol Saddlery
And he's sewing in the back of the place
He's old Charlie Dunn, the little frail one
With the smilin' leathery face
[Chorus]
Charlie Dunn, he's the one to see
Charlie done the boots that are on my feet
It makes Charlie real pleased to see me walkin' with ease
Charlie Dunn, he's the one to see
Charlie's been make boots over there
He says, about fifty some-odd years
And once you wear a pair of his hand-made boots
You know you'll never wear a store-bought pair
Charlie can tell what's wrong with your feet
Just by feeling them with his hand
And he can take a look at the boots you wear
And know a whole lot about you, man
(Chorus)
[Bridge]
Now, ol' Buck's up front, he's countin' his gold
Charlie's in the back patchin' up the soles
Of the people comin' in, smilin' at him
They all wonder how's ol' Charlie been
And ol' Buck's makin' change, he never sees no one
He never understood the good thing that Charlie done
Yeah, ol' Charlie never had his name on the sign
He never put a mark in his boots
He just hopes that you can remember him
The same way that he does you
He keeps your measurements in this little book
So you can order more boots later on
Well I'm writin' down some of Ol' Charlie's size
'Cause I'm makin' him up this song
(Chorus)
Yeah, ol' Buck's makin' change, he never sees no one
And He never understood the good thing that Charlie done
The song "Charlie Dunn" by Jerry Jeff Walker tells the story of a talented boot maker known as Charlie Dunn, who works at Capitol Saddlery in Austin, Texas. The song begins with the singer recommending Charlie as a man to see if you need help with worn out soles. Charlie is described as an old man with a smiling, leathery face who has been making boots for over fifty years. Those who have worn Charlie's hand-made boots can attest that they'll never wear a store-bought pair again. Charlie has a reputation for being able to tell what's wrong with someone's feet just by feeling them and can learn a lot about someone from the boots they wear.
The chorus of the song is a tribute to Charlie, with the singer singing, "Charlie Dunn, he's the one to see/Charlie done the boots that are on my feet/It makes Charlie real pleased to see me walking with ease." The bridge of the song explains how Charlie is often in the back patching up soles while the owner of the shop, Old Buck, is up front counting his gold. But despite this, Charlie never put his name on the shop's sign, never marked his boots, and never sought recognition for his excellent work. Instead, he hoped to be remembered by his customers in the same way that he remembered them.
Overall, "Charlie Dunn" is a tribute to a man who has honed his craft over many years and gained a reputation for his exceptional talent. The song speaks to the power of hard work and dedication, reminding us that sometimes the quiet, unassuming individuals are the ones who make the most significant impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, if you're ever in Austin, Texas
A little run down on your sole
I'm gonna tell you the name of a man to see
I'm gonna tell you right where to go
He's working in Capitol Saddlery
And he's sewing in the back of the place
He's old Charlie Dunn, the little frail one
With the smilin' leathery face
If you ever find yourself in Austin, Texas, with worn-out shoes, I know just the man to help you out. His name is Charlie Dunn, and he works at Capitol Saddlery, where he sews in the back. Despite being old and frail, Charlie has a kind, weathered face that seems to be always smiling.
[Chorus]
Charlie Dunn, he's the one to see
Charlie done the boots that are on my feet
It makes Charlie real pleased to see me walkin' with ease
Charlie Dunn, he's the one to see
When it comes to getting a good pair of boots, Charlie Dunn is your guy. He's the one who made the boots I'm wearing, and seeing me walk comfortably in them makes him happy. So if you need a quality pair of boots, Charlie Dunn is the one to see.
Charlie's been make boots over there
He says, about fifty some-odd years
And once you wear a pair of his hand-made boots
You know you'll never wear a store-bought pair
Charlie can tell what's wrong with your feet
Just by feeling them with his hand
And he can take a look at the boots you wear
And know a whole lot about you, man
Charlie has been making boots at Capitol Saddlery for over fifty years. If you've ever worn a pair of boots that Charlie made, you know that factory-made boots just can't compare. Charlie is a master at his craft, and he can even diagnose foot problems just by touching them. Additionally, by looking at the boots someone wears, he can learn a surprising amount about their character.
[Chorus]
Charlie Dunn, he's the one to see
Charlie done the boots that are on my feet
It makes Charlie real pleased to see me walkin' with ease
Charlie Dunn, he's the one to see
Once again, when it comes to boots, you can't beat Charlie Dunn. He's responsible for the boots on my feet, and seeing me walk comfortably in them makes him happy. So if you want quality boots, Charlie Dunn is your man.
[Bridge]
Now, ol' Buck's up front, he's countin' his gold
Charlie's in the back patchin' up the soles
Of the people comin' in, smilin' at him
They all wonder how's ol' Charlie been
And ol' Buck's makin' change, he never sees no one
He never understood the good thing that Charlie done
While the owner of Capitol Saddlery, Buck, is busy counting his money up front, Charlie is in the back doing the hard work of replacing soles. Despite this, everyone who comes in is happy to see Charlie and they all wonder how he's doing. Buck, on the other hand, seems to be oblivious to the value of Charlie's work.
Yeah, ol' Charlie never had his name on the sign
He never put a mark in his boots
He just hopes that you can remember him
The same way that he does you
He keeps your measurements in this little book
So you can order more boots later on
Well I'm writin' down some of Ol' Charlie's size
'Cause I'm makin' him up this song
Despite his years of hard work and skill as a boot maker, Charlie never put his name on the sign or marked his boots. He simply hopes that people will remember him the same way he remembers them. He even keeps a little book of people's measurements so they can order more boots later. This song is my way of making sure Charlie is remembered, so I'm writing down his size as part of the lyrics.
[Chorus]
Yeah, ol' Buck's makin' change, he never sees no one
And He never understood the good thing that Charlie done
Once again, the chorus reminds us that when it comes to boots, Charlie Dunn is the guy to see. Unfortunately, Buck seems to overlook Charlie's value, and is more interested in making change than in recognizing the hard work that Charlie has done over the years.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Kyle
RIP Jerry Jeff. When you get to Heaven, Charlie Dunn will have a custom-made pair of boots just for you.
Mike Workman
Charles Russell "Charlie" Dunn (c. 1898 – September 23, 1993) was an American bootmaker of handmade Western, or cowboy, boots for more than 80 years. Dubbed the "Michelangelo of cowboy boots," he first gained widespread notice in the wake of Jerry Jeff Walker's song "Charlie Dunn" (1972).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Dunn
William Woody
When Charlie died he made the front page of the New York Times, front page, below the fold. Full obituary inside. Shocked the the hell outta me, but I sure smiled.
Tim Castens
He may have been from New York, and I love New York but this man's heart came out of the Texas sand. God Speed potna
Jd Bman
Rest In Peace Jerry Jeff
D Brown
I didn’t realize he died. An era ends.
BuggieBoi
I am the great grandson of Charlie Dunn. I never got to see him because he died before I was born. I’m not sure if he’s proud of me...
BuggieBoi
@Lil dump No, but I’m sure my grandparents have some.
Lil dump
Got any custom boots
Kevo
All through my life I don't think there's any other artist that comes close to jerry jeff to me RIP thanks for all the great music