Over her 50-year career, Country Music Hall of Famer Cindy Walker penned songs that would become standards for artists such as Gene Autry, Eddy Arnold, Ray Charles, Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, Roy Orbison and more. She should be on anyone's short list of Lone Star state music legends. But, as Terri Hendrix points out, that acknowledgment has all too often went to men.
"The men get the winning cup and all the glory when it comes to songwriting here in Texas," Hendrix tells Wide Open Country. "Van Zandt, Clark, Earle, Shaver and on and on. What about the women? Case in point, Cindy Walker. A native Texan, she was a true craftsman, and often tailored particular songs to specific recording artists. She had Top 10 hits that spread over five decades."
Hendrix, a revered Texas singer-songwriter in her own right, honors Walker on her forthcoming album Project 5.3: Talk To a Human by covering Walker's jazzy "Don't Meddle in My Mood," an ode to being sullen in peace.
"Another reason why I covered this song is because I can totally relate to it and this country blues style is among my favorites to sing," Hendrix says. "When I'm in a funk, I like to be left alone. I don't like advice or anyone around me trying to 'fix me.' This might be a love gone wrong song, but for me, it has always had a deeper meaning."
Listen to "Don't Meddle in My Mood" below.
Project 5.3: Talk To a Human is one of three albums Hendrix will release on September 6.
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