About
Cowjazz would prove to be Walker's last album for a major label; in the latter part of the '70s, years of drinking and drug abuse began taking their toll; he had developed a reputation for missing shows or being too drunk to play that did noticeable damage to his touring receipts), and he fell deep into debt thanks to a large bill for back taxes from the IRS. With the help of his wife, Walker got clean and sober, settled his finances, and formed his own Tried & True Music label. He made a deal with Rykodisc to distribute Tried & True's product, and 1987's Gypsy Songman: A Life in Song found him reinterpreting a set of his best-known and favorite tunes. 1991's Navajo Rug took him back to the country charts for the first time since 1978's Jerry Jeff, and 1992's Hill Country Rain was cited as a strong return to form by critics. Walker recorded at a steady but relaxed pace throughout the '90s and 2000s, as well as playing frequently in the Southwest, and his birthday was celebrated in Austin with a series of annual concerts that became a cherished local tradition. After 2009's Moon Child, Walker put recording on hold and stuck to live work, but after he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017, he made a comeback with 2018's self-released It's About Time. Walker remained in treatment for cancer until he died on October 23, 2020, at a hospital in Austin. He was 78 years old. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
From 🇺🇸 United States
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