There was only one Cindy Walker
Cindy had a storyteller’s sensibilities, an important part of why her songs strike such a genuine emotional chord. Below, she tells the story behind of one of her biggest hits: “You Don’t Know Me,” most notably recorded by Ray Charles in 1962
Her story is at
the heart of ours
The Cindy Walker Foundation story started with an audacious plan to save her home … but its roots go much further back, to a trailblazing female songwriter whose contributions are largely forgotten by the public but are undoubtedly responsible for some of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Learn the story behind our work to preserve Cindy’s home in Mexia, and how we got started preserving and promoting the tale of a true Texas icon in this 10 minute video.
Cindy’s Songwriting Impact - In List Form
Cindy’s legacy as a songwriter was unparalleled. In fact, we are still uncovering just how many artists performed her songs. Thankfully, this undated, typed document (with handwritten notes) was uncovered in Cindy’s papers during a cleaning session in her home, and we can see just how many people she remembered covering her songs. (Click on the image below to view a 7-page PDF list of artists.)
Cindy … In Her Own Words
Some time in the early 1970s, Cindy sat down and wrote a partial autobiography on her life up to that point. We discovered the draft of this write-up in the papers left behind in her house in Mexia and wanted to share Cindy’s take on her story - for the first time in public! (Click on each image below to enlarge in a new browser window.)
