Django Walker

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Django Walker | image = Django Walker - 6-21-14 IMG 2978 (14481728594) (cropped).jpg | caption = Walker in 2014 | image_size = | birth_name = Django Cody Walker | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|08|28}} | origin = | instrument = | genre = | occupation = singer-songwriter | years_active = 1997–present | label = | website = | associated acts = }}

'''Django Walker''' (born August 28, 1981<ref name=bio />) is a Texas Country singer-songwriter and the frontman for the Django Walker Band.<ref name=vail>{{cite web |title=Don't call 'em country |author=Ball, Laura A. |url=http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20060307/AE/103070026 |date=March 7, 2006 |accessdate=May 15, 2009 |publisher=Vail Daily}}</ref>

==Biography== Named after Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt,<ref name=bio>{{cite news |title=Django Walker comes Down the Road to LR club |author=Hill, Jack W. |publisher=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=August 2, 2004}}</ref> Walker is the son of country music artist Jerry Jeff Walker and Susan Walker.<ref name=vail /> He began learning to play guitar at age 15.<ref name=vail /> After graduating from Austin High School in 1999,<ref name=baytown>{{cite news |title=City preparing for crowd of 30,000 |publisher=The Baytown Sun |date=June 3, 2003|author=Darnell, Meredith}}</ref> he attended the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts from 1999 to 2001, but did not graduate.<ref name=bio /> He has said the experience made him "a better musician", but also says he learned much more traveling out on the road.<ref name=odessa />

==Career== When he was 16, Walker wrote his first song, "The Road You Choose", and performed it on stage at his father's shows.<ref name=vail /> His father recorded it on his 1999 CD, ''Gypsy Songman'',<ref>{{cite news |title=The Beat: Street Soundz |publisher=Austin American-Statesman |date=October 1, 1999|author=Riemenschneider, Chris |page=14 (XL Ent)}}</ref> and Django later released his own recording of it.

His band's debut CD, ''Down the Road'', produced by Lloyd Maines,<ref name=vail /> was released in 2002.<ref name=bio /> Walker released the CD on a label he formed himself, Lazy Kid Music.<ref name=odessa>{{cite news |title=Son of Jerry Jeff Walker, Django, opening for Green |publisher=The Odessa American |date=June 7, 2002 |author=Lee, David J. |page=7E}}</ref> He recorded the CD in five days, and wrote all but one of the songs himself.<ref name=odessa /> One of those songs, "Texas on my Mind", was previously recorded by Pat Green,<ref name=vail /> and reached number 1 on the Texas Music Chart.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 1, 2002 |publisher=San Antonio Express-News |author=Goodspeed, John |title=Songwriters' rule: Nothing sells like truth}}</ref> Walker had written the song while a student at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.<ref name=cc>{{cite news |title=Django Walker kicks off music series – Jerry Jeff Walker's son wants to be respected for his music |publisher=Corpus Christi Caller-Times |date=June 4, 2004 |author=Hinojosa, Cassandra |page=E4}}</ref><ref name=djamming>{{cite news |title=Django djamming on new CD |publisher=Wichita Falls Times Record News |date=January 2, 2006|page=G1}}</ref> Dad's 1999 album "Gypsy Songman" contains the autobiographical father to son tune "Little Man".

Walker's second CD, ''Six Trips Around the World'',<ref name=vail /><ref name=dallas>{{cite web |title=Like father, like son |url=http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-walkers_0328gl.ART.State.Edition2.e40ba22.html |date=March 2, 2006|author=Tarradell, Mario |publisher=Dallas Morning News |accessdate=May 15, 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> was released in 2006. It was produced by Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish, and recorded at Bryan's home in South Carolina.<ref name=djamming /><ref>{{cite news |title=Taking country rock by storm |publisher=Houston Chronicle |date=June 1, 2005|author=Finan, Kristan |page=4 (Preview section)}}</ref>

Walker's 2011 song, "Texas Longhorn", is played after the third quarter of Texas Longhorns football home games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elayan |first=Adam |date=October 24, 2025 |title=Meet Django Walker, artist behind popular ‘Texas Longhorn’ song |url=https://thedailytexan.com/2025/10/24/meet-django-walker-artist-behind-popular-texas-longhorn-song/ |access-date=2025-12-19 |website=The Daily Texan}}</ref>

==Musical style== Walker has cited several different influences for his musical style, including popular rock artists The Beatles, Bob Dylan,<ref name=tivoli>{{cite news |title=Son of Texas music legend to appear at Tivoli |publisher=The Daily Ardmoreite |date=June 2, 2002|author=Perry, Andrea}}</ref> The Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, Neil Young,<ref name=baytown /> as well as country artists Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson,<ref name=vail /> Pat Green, Robert Earl Keen,<ref name=baytown /> Guy Clark,<ref name=dallas /> and Townes Van Zandt.<ref name=tivoli /> Reviewers have described his style as "unique country",<ref name=tivoli /> "country/rocker",<ref name=baytown /> and "classic rock with undertones of good old Southern comfort".<ref name=vail />

==Personal== Walker attended Austin High School in Austin, Texas, graduating in 1999.<ref name=baytown /> He played on the varsity basketball team,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/index/_/id/7071329 |last=Hoppes |first=Lynn |title=Django Walker proud of Texas Longhorns anthem |work=ESPN |access-date=March 8, 2020}}</ref> and, while studying in England, played semi-professional basketball.<ref name=cc /><ref name=djamming />

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== * {{Cite web |url=http://www.djangowalker.com/ |title=www.djangowalker.com |access-date=May 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909145305/http://www.djangowalker.com/ |archive-date=September 9, 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Django}} Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Singers from Austin, Texas Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters Category:Country musicians from Texas