Walker was born in Linden, Texas of African and Cherokee descent. Walker's parents, Movelia Jimerson and Rance Walker, were both musicians. His stepfather, Marco Washington, taught him to play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin and piano.
Early in the 1920s, the teenage Walker learned his craft among the street-strolling string bands of Dallas. His mother and stepfather (a member of the Dallas String Band) were musicians, and family friend Blind Lemon Jefferson sometimes joined the family for dinner. Walker left school at age 10, and by 15, he was a professional performer on the blues circuit. Initially, he was Jefferson's protégé and would guide him around town for his gigs. In 1929, Walker made his recording debut with a single for Columbia Records, "Wichita Falls Blues"/"Trinity River Blues," billed as Oak Cliff T-Bone. Oak Cliff was the community he lived in at the time and T-Bone a corruption of his middle name. Pianist Douglas Fernell was his musical partner for the record.
Walker married Vida Lee in 1935 and the couple had three children. By the age of 26 Walker was working the clubs in Los Angeles' Central Avenue, sometimes as the featured singer and guitarist with Les Hite's orchestra.
His distinctive sound developed in 1942 when Walker recorded "Mean Old World" for Capitol Records. Much of his output was recorded from 1946–1948 on Black & White Records, including 1947's "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)", with its famous opening line, "They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad". He followed up with his "T-Bone Shuffle" and "Let Your Hair Down, Baby, Let's Have a Natural Ball". Both are considered blues classics.
Throughout his career Walker worked with the top quality musicians, including Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Lloyd Glenn (piano), Billy Hadnott (bass), and Jack McVea (tenor sax).
Following his work with Black & White, he recorded from 1950-54 for Imperial Records (backed by Dave Bartholomew). Walker's only record in the next five years was T-Bone Blues, recorded over three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956 and 1959, and finally released by Atlantic Records in 1960.
By the early 1960s, Walker's career had slowed down, in spite of a hyped appearance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon, among others. A few critically acclaimed albums followed, such as I Want a Little Girl. Walker recorded in his last years, 1968 - 1975, for Robin Hemingway's Jitney Jane Songs music publishing company, and he won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Good Feelin' (Polydor), produced by Robin Hemingway. "Fly Walker Airlines", Polydor, also produced by Hemingway, was released in 1973.
T-Bone Walker died in 1975, at the age of 64. He is interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Walker's influence extended beyond his music. Chuck Berry called Walker and Louis Jordan (as well as Jordan's guitarist, Carl Hogan) his main influences. T-Bone Walker was the childhood hero of Jimi Hendrix, and Hendrix imitated some of Walker's ways throughout his life. Years before Hendrix, Walker was playing guitar with his teeth or in strange positions.
Walker was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
T-Bone Shuffle
T-Bone Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's have a natural ball
Let your hair down baby
Let's have a natural ball
Cause when you're not happy
It ain't no fun at all
You can't take it with you
You can't take it with you baby
That's one thing for sure
There's nothing wrong with ya baby
That a good T-Bone shuffle can't cure
Have fun while ya can
Fate's an awful thing
Have fun while ya can
Fate's an awful thing
You can't tell what might happen
That's why I love to sing
In "T-Bone Shuffle," T-Bone Walker is encouraging someone to let go of their worries and enjoy themselves. He urges them to relax and have fun, saying, "Let your hair down baby, let's have a natural ball." He acknowledges that being unhappy is no fun at all, and wants to convince the listener to enjoy themselves while they can. His message is reinforced by the idea that "fate's an awful thing," and that no one knows what may happen in the future.
T-Bone's simple yet profound message in this song is meant to inspire people to embrace their lives and not take themselves too seriously. He wants people to appreciate the fleeting nature of life and to make the most of every moment while they can. By encouraging listeners to have a good time, he reminds them that happiness can be found in even the most difficult situations. The song's upbeat tempo and playful tone make it a perfect tune to dance, sing, and let loose to.
Line by Line Meaning
Let your hair down baby
Relax and have fun
Let's have a natural ball
Let's enjoy ourselves in a carefree manner
Cause when you're not happy
Because when you're feeling down or unhappy
It ain't no fun at all
It's no fun or enjoyable
You can't take it with you
You cannot take material possessions to the afterlife
That's one thing for sure
That's an absolute truth
You can't take it with you baby
You cannot take your material possessions with you
There's nothing wrong with ya baby
There's nothing physically wrong with you
That a good T-Bone shuffle can't cure
That a lively, upbeat T-Bone shuffle music can cure the emotional blues
Have fun while ya can
Enjoy life while you have the chance
Fate's an awful thing
The unknown force of fate can be terrifying
You can't tell what might happen
It's impossible to predict the future
That's why I love to sing
That's why I enjoy expressing myself through music
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: T-BONE WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@totc6196
To me TBONE was way ahead of his time and surely doesn’t get enough credit
@theeclecticreader5657
Thank you for listing all the side cats. Nobody ever does that.
@jsamc
I first heard this on Showdown featuring Robert Cray, Robert Copeland, and Albert Collins. Glad I'm finally hearing the original.
@guildt50
The shuffle is the mainstay of swing expression ...and such a joy to listen to all through the years....and to play with a smile and a tapping foot.
@kristophersaul562
instablaster...
@reuvenzadik2443
What a nice fusion between Blues and Jazz..Nightlike, foggy and dreamy song from a master as he was...
@norai.5826
blues/r&b
+ jazz/jump blues (with shuffle/boogie woogie rhythmic pattern)
+ virtuoso using electric guitar as the main character
= something rare and influential
@WillieEWoof
Amazing! That is exactly (in time, and in music) where jazz and blues and rock meet!
@mwalimuwade6910
Rock came from the blues
@gboard7
Does it get any better than this?