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
Road Runner
Junior Walker & The All Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me live a life free and easy
Put a toothbrush in my hand
Let me be a travelling man
I'm a roadrunner, baby
Roadrunner
Roadrunner
I'm a road runner baby,
I'm a road runner,
You might look at me
And I'll be gone
Well you can love me if you wanna
But I do declare
When I get restless
I got to move somewhere
Yes, I'm a road runner baby,
Anywhere is my home
And I love the life I live
And I'm gonna live the life I love
Roadrunner baby
Roadrunner Roadrunner
Don't want no woman to tie me down
Gotta be free baby to roam around
All my life I've been like this
You can love me at your own risk
When the dust hits my shoes
I got the urge to move
'Cause I'm a road runner baby,
Gotta keep on, keepin' on
And I live the life I love
And I'm gonna love the life I live
Roadrunner baby
Roadrunner Roadrunner
In the lyrics of Junior Walker & The All Stars' song Road Runner, the singer expresses his strong desire for a life of freedom and mobility. He rejects the conventional values of society, particularly the importance of money, and instead values the ability to travel and explore new places. He sees himself as a "road runner," always on the move and never staying in one place for too long. He enjoys the excitement of constantly being on the go, even if it means risking relationships with others who want to tie him down.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes his love for the lifestyle he has chosen. His restlessness and need to "move somewhere" are not seen as negative traits, but as essential parts of his personality. He is proud to be a road runner, and he revels in his freedom to roam wherever he likes. He acknowledges that others may not understand or approve of his choices, but he is willing to accept the risks and consequences that come with living life his own way.
Overall, the lyrics of Road Runner speak to the human desire for adventure and the search for meaning outside of societal norms. The singer's rejection of materialism and embrace of mobility can be seen as an expression of the countercultural values of the 1960s, the time period in which the song was recorded.
Line by Line Meaning
Money, who needs it
I don't care much for money, I just want to live an easy life.
Let me live a life free and easy
I want to live my life without any restrictions or worries.
Put a toothbrush in my hand
All I need is a toothbrush and I'll be ready to hit the road.
Let me be a travelling man
I want to be constantly on the move and explore different places.
I'm a roadrunner, baby
I'm always on the move like a roadrunner.
Roadrunner
I'm a fast-moving and restless person.
I'm a road runner baby,
I'm a traveling man, can't stay in one place for too long.
Can't stay in one place too long
I can't stay in one place for too long or I'll get restless.
You might look at me
People may see me for a moment, but then I'll be gone.
And I'll be gone
I won't stick around in one place for too long.
When I get restless
I'll start feeling anxious and will need to move somewhere else.
I got to move somewhere
I can't stay idle, I'll need to find somewhere else to go.
Anywhere is my home
I can make anywhere feel like home because I adapt to new environments easily.
And I'm gonna live the life I love
I'm going to live my life the way I want to and enjoy it.
Don't want no woman to tie me down
I don't want to be in a committed relationship that limits my freedom.
Gotta be free baby to roam around
I need to be free to move around and explore without any restrictions.
All my life I've been like this
I've always been a restless and adventurous person.
You can love me at your own risk
You can love me, but there's always a risk I may leave or move on.
When the dust hits my shoes
As soon as I get restless, I need to start moving on.
Gotta keep on, keepin' on
I need to keep moving forward and living my life the way I want to.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@barbarasmith403
Well I'm almost 70 now, and this is, and always has been my all-time favourite record. I just love it and that sax still sounds as good now as it ever did. Makes me wish I still had the energy to get up and dance to it!!
@moonlightlady6126
Do it anyway, Barbara. Just don't break a hip, lol
@sheilaognissanti1803
Mine too....At 71 I'm just bopping around my room to it right now!🤣
@sondrasmith2691
Ah...get up and "get on down" Barbara! I'll dance with ya!! 😂😂
@sondrasmith2691
This is a good az it gets yawl!
@sondrasmith2691
Listen to that sax and piano!
@peterkeiser-nielsen4674
I am 67, live in Denmark and heard this wonderful piece on the radio one late night in the sixties and it blew me away. It took me years to be connected with this tune again, but now I am with 2 new hips and dancing all along with this Roadrunner.
@amberseashellrehling2850
That's really great :) glad you were able to find the song again!
@jameswhitney2450
Great to hear Peter!
@dalesheffield7097
Im 73 and grew up with all this great music. It made you want to dance and that's what it's meant to do. And I can still dance.