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
These Eyes
Junior Walker & The All Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These arms long to hold you again.
The hurtin's on me yeah,
But I will never be free no my baby, no no.
You gave a promise to me yeah and you broke it, you broke it. Oh, no.
These eyes watched you bring my world to an end.
This heart could not accept and pretend.
But I will never be free no no no.
You took the vow with me yeah.
You spoke it, you spoke it, babe.
These eyes are cryin'
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
These eyes are cryin'
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
These eyes are cryin'
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
These eyes cry every night for you.
These arms, these arms long to hold you, hold you again.
These eyes are cryin'
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
These eyes are cryin'
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
These eyes are cryin'
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
These eyes are cryin'
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
Baby, baby, baby, baby.
The lyrics to Junior Walker & The All Stars' song These Eyes express the pain and heartbreak of a failed relationship. The singer's eyes cry every night for the person they love, and their arms ache to hold them again, but they know deep down that they will never truly be free from the hurt that this person has caused them. The person in question had made a promise to the singer, but broke it, leading to the end of their world and a lot of pain. The singer acknowledges that they have seen other loves, but none like the one they had with this person.
The repetition of the phrase "These eyes" throughout the song emphasizes the depth of the hurt and longing that the singer is feeling. By focusing on the eyes as the source of this pain and emotion, the lyrics suggest that the singer's love for this person goes beyond just physical attraction or even emotional connection; it is something that is truly ingrained in their being. The final refrain of the song, with its repetitions of "baby" and the phrase "never gonna see another one like I had with you," emphasizes the extent to which the singer feels that their relationship with this person was unique and irreplaceable.
Line by Line Meaning
These eyes cry every night for you.
My eyes shed tears every single night just thinking about you and missing you.
These arms long to hold you again.
My arms ache to embrace you once more and feel your warmth and love.
The hurtin's on me yeah,
The pain and suffering I feel is unbearable and it's taking a toll on me.
But I will never be free no my baby, no no.
I know I can never truly move on and be free from this heartbreak, my dear.
You gave a promise to me yeah and you broke it, you broke it. Oh, no.
You made a promise to me and shattered it, causing me immense pain and disappointment.
These eyes watched you bring my world to an end.
I saw you destroy my life and everything I held dear.
This heart could not accept and pretend.
I couldn't bear to pretend everything was okay when my heart was shattered into pieces.
You took the vow with me yeah.
You made a commitment to me and promised to always be there for me, but you didn't keep it.
You spoke it, you spoke it, babe.
You said those words of commitment, but they were just empty promises.
These eyes have seen a lot of loves
I have experienced love before, but none like the love I had with you.
But they're never gonna see another one like I had with you.
I know I'll never find a love as powerful and meaningful as the one we shared.
Baby, baby, baby, baby.
Oh, my dear, I miss you so much and I can't help but call out to you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dannynance1797
Back up singers don't get enough credit. The back up harmonies on this song are amazing.
@user-zf8sr6uj2k
Yep just like carla thomas
@amysmalls7930
Hello 👍🏾 the background is very important for the hits!!!!
@leonardbrown2219
I wonder who they are.They are awesome.Thank you for the (Great Comment)😊😊😊
@kwilliams1958
Jr Walker, as well as Rev Al Green, grab and pierce your soul with their musical gifts...timeless.
@jolenesimon6123
And Marvin Gaye
@barbaraknight4203
That wicked sax 😳💞 Jr. Walker is showing a loving side of a Man. His background singers are 💯
@Denise-qz5nz
Couldn't have said it better!
@joeyburrell3207
So good, makes me wanna cry, cause those days and their music is gone now.😔😢
@Fearthesmoke
Felt this.