Junior Walker was born Autry DeWalt Jr. in Blytheville, Arkansas in 1942. Some accounts list his birth name as Oscar G. Mixon, and say his name was changed at some point during his early childhood. He grew up in South Bend, Indiana where he became a proficient saxophone player, studying the methods of some of the prominent sax players of the time. During his teens, DeWalt joined a group called the Jumping Jacks and began to perform in local clubs, calling himself Junior Walker.
He next joined a trio led by drummer Billy "Stix" Nicks, which also featured organist Fred Patton. They soon added backing vocalist and guitarist Willie Woods, and played around northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Walker took over the group after Nicks joined the Army and in the late '50s, relocated to Battle Creek, MI, and formed a band billed as Junior Walker & the All-Stars. Initially, they featured Patton, Woods, and drummer Tony Washington. Patton was later replaced by Victor Thomas, and Washington by Jack Douglas and, finally, James Graves. The All-Stars continued to play around the area, and took up a residency in Battle Creek's El Grotto club.
It was at the El Grotto that they were noticed by Johnny Bristol, who recommended them to Harvey Fuqua, who had sang with Harvey and the Moonglows. By this time, Fuqua was running his own fledgling record label called simply "Harvey". Fuqua liked what he heard and signed Junior Walker and the All Stars in 1962.
The Harvey label was soon bought out by Motown, and the group found itself recording with Soul Records. Soul was a subsidiary of Motown and all of the group's subsequent hits in the US were released on the Soul label, although they had some Tamla/Motown hits on the charts in the UK.
In early 1965, the band scored their first big hit with a dance tune that Walker had written called "Shotgun", which marked Junior's vocal debut. In fact, the only reason he sang the song was that the vocalist he'd hired didn't show up for the session, and he was somewhat flabbergasted by the label's decision to leave his vocal intact. Berry Gordy's instincts proved right, however, when "Shotgun" topped the R&B charts and hit number four on the Pop chart.
In 1966, Graves left and was replaced by old friend Billy "Stix" Nicks. Walker's hits continued with tunes like "I'm a Road Runner" (#20 Pop) and "Pucker Up Buttercup". (#3 Pop) Toward the end of the '60s, seeking to diversify their approach, the All-Stars began recording more ballad material, complete with string arrangements and Walker vocals. That approach resulted in the group's second Top Five pop hit, the R&B number one "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" which helped refuel Walker's career. He landed several more R&B Top Ten hits over the next few years, including a cover of The Guess Who's "These Eyes", which went to number 16 on the Pop chart. Musical tastes changed in the 70's and the final top forty hit for Junior Walker and the All Stars was "Do You See My Love (For You Growing)" in 1970.
Walker resurfaced as a solo artist during the disco era, working with producer Brian Holland beginning in 1976 with the single "Hot Shot". A pair of albums followed. In 1979, Walker joined up with another former Motown mainstay, signing with producer Norman Whitfield's Whitfield label, though without much success.
Walker returned to the spotlight in 1981 with a guest solo on Foreigner's Top Five hit "Urgent". Two years later, he re-signed with Motown and recorded "Blow the House Down". His melodic style was now being absorbed into a new generation of R&B-flavoured jazz instrumentalists.
Junior continued to perform in the 80's and 90's, often with his son Autry DeWalt III on drums. Sadly, Junior Walker developed cancer in 1993 and as his health deteriorated, he had difficulty walking. He died on November 23, 1995 in Battle Creek, Michigan at age 53.
In the wake of his death, Billy "Stix" Nicks continued to tour with a version of the All-Stars.
http://www.classicbands.com/jrwalker.html
Come See About Me
Junior Walker & The All Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I'm lonely (for you)
Smiles have all turned to tears
But tears won't wash away the fears
That you're never ever gonna return
To ease the fire that within me burns
It keeps me crying baby for you
So won't you hurry
Come on boy, see about me
(Come see about me)
See about your baby
I've given up my friends just for you
My friends are gone
And you have too
No peace shall I find
Until you come back
And be mine
No matter what you do or say
I'm gonna love you anyway
Keep on crying baby for you
I'm gonna keep sighin' baby for you
So come on hurry
Come on and see about me
(Come see about me)
See about you baby
Sometime's up
Sometime's down
My life's so uncertain
With you not around
From my arms you maybe out of reach
But my heart says you're here to keep
Keeps me crying baby for you
Keep on, keep on crying baby for you
So won't you hurry
Come on boy, see about me (Come see about me)
See about you baby (Come see about me)
You know I'm so lonely (Come see about me)
I love you only (Come see about me)
See about your baby (Come see about me)
Hurry, hurry
The lyrics to Junior Walker's song "Come See About Me" convey a strong message of loneliness and longing for someone who has left the singer's life. The singer is crying and feeling lonely specifically for this person, as their smiles have all turned to tears since they've been gone. However, tears won't wash away the fears the singer has that this person is never going to return, which only intensifies the inner turmoil and emotional state of the singer. The fire within the singer's heart is burning, and only this person's return will be able to ease that fire.
The second half of the song conveys how much the singer has sacrificed for this person. The singer has given up friends to be with this person, only for this person to leave them as well. The singer is not at peace without this person and will not find peace until they return. No matter what this person does, whether they leave again or stay forever, the singer will always love them anyway. The lyrics also highlight the ups and downs that come with this person's presence in the singer's life. The singer's life is uncertain without this person, and while they may be out of the singer's reach, they will always be in the singer's heart.
Overall, the song is a plea for this person to come back and see the singer, to see the pain and loneliness that they have caused, and to ease that emotional burden by coming back into the singer's life. The lyrics are emotional and heartfelt, with a sense of vulnerability that makes the song particularly poignant.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been crying
I've shed tears because I am feeling sad and miserable
'Cause I'm lonely (for you)
I'm feeling lonely and isolated because you're not around
Smiles have all turned to tears
All my happiness and joy have been replaced with tears and sorrow
But tears won't wash away the fears
Even though I cry, it won't alleviate my fear and anxiety
That you're never ever gonna return
I'm afraid that you might never come back
To ease the fire that within me burns
My love for you is so strong that it feels like a burning sensation inside me
It keeps me crying baby for you
My love and longing for you are so intense that I cry all the time
Keeps me sighin' baby for you
My love and yearning for you are so strong that I keep sighing involuntarily
So won't you hurry
Please come back to me as soon as you can
Come on boy, see about me
Please check on me and take care of me
(Come see about me)
I need you to come and be with me
See about your baby
Please take care of the person who loves you
I've given up my friends just for you
I have sacrificed my friendships because I wanted to be with you
My friends are gone
I don't have friends anymore because I chose you over them
And you have too
You're not around me anymore either
No peace shall I find
I can't find peace and contentment without you near me
Until you come back
My peace and happiness can only be restored if you come back to me
And be mine
Please be with me and love me once again
No matter what you do or say
Despite anything you do or say, I will still love you the same way
I'm gonna love you anyway
My love for you will never fade or change
Sometime's up
Sometimes things may seem to be going well
Sometime's down
Sometimes things may seem to be going poorly
My life's so uncertain
My life is unstable and unsure
With you not around
This is because you're not with me
From my arms you maybe out of reach
You might not be physically close to me at the moment
But my heart says you're here to keep
But I feel like you're still with me in my heart
Keep on, keep on crying baby for you
I will continue to cry and long for you
You know I'm so lonely
I'm experiencing a profound sense of loneliness
I love you only
My love and devotion are reserved only for you
Hurry, hurry
Please come back to me as soon as possible
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jerryferko8309
this guy was one of the most UNDER RATED ENTERAINERS OF HIS TIME , HIS SOUNDS ALWAYS MADE U FEEL GOOD!
@ganymeade5151
I had the great fortune of seeing Junior Walker in DC many years ago. Incredible show in a basement-like venue in an ordinary neighborhood within touching distance of this fine band.
@DH-xm3hc
You got that right. Those of us that discovered him and his band were just let in on the BIG secret, and so fortunate. The 60's and early 70"s belonged to JR Walker and the All Stars where anyone danced. ✌❤🌻
@biggusbestus551
70 years of listening with over a terabyte of stored music this guy ranks in the top 10 for me ...👍
@motownfan3
I SAW JR FOUR TIMES IN THE 80'S AND EARLY 90'S.......HE WAS "PURE SOUL "....WHAT A SHOW MAN...MAY HE REST IN PEACE !!!!!!
@robbiewilliams1323
I grew up with this. My oldest sisters were teenagers in love. Precious memories 💖
@buzzdavis
Adding magic to The Supremes classic, Jr and the boys turn this into party funk. Motown Forever. Old Skool Still Rules in 2021. Come see about Jr.............
@Keepingthefaith72
Agree Buzz , Jnr could make that Sax sing ...... A great talent .......
@jayhendricks67
Can't Nobody take a Another Groups Song and make So Soulful with down home Blues Like JR Walker & The All-Stars
@58musicman
I've always loved The Surpremes version, but Junior TURNED THIS OUT! Can you say elements of house? Listen to the bass line...