Cindy Walker was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Legendary country songwriter Cyndi Walker, whose most famous song is the classic “You Don't Know Me,” was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) at a special event on April 19 at historic Columbia Studio A in Nashville. .

The ceremony took place during a SHOF Master session with Liz Rose, a 2023 SHOF inductee. Rose spoke fondly of her close relationship with the late songwriter and presented the award to Walker's niece, Molly Walker. Rose's daughter Caitlin Rose performed “You Don't Know Me,” which Walker co-wrote with Eddie Arnold, who had the original hit with the song in 1956.

“That would make her so proud,” Molly Walker said at the event. “And what excites me is that when we hear Cindy's songs, she's still with us. I can't tell you how much this would mean to her and her family.”

The event was hosted by Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. Co-hosted by SHOF Board Member Fletcher Foster, who chairs the SHOF Nashville Committee.

The annual SHOF gala in June doesn't usually feature posthumous inductions — though this year's inductees include Steely Dan, whose Walter Becker died in 2017. SHOF prefers the June event to have a celebratory mood. But he plans to continue hosting posthumous events at unique venues and special events like this one.

“The ceremony at Columbia Studio A was warm, intimate and respectful,” Foster said in a statement. “SHOF President and CEO Linda Moran says this now sets the stage for future posthumous inductions.”

Walker, who died in 2006 at age 87, was among the inaugural class of inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. In 1997, she became the first female songwriter inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2009, Walker received the Poet Laureate from the Academy of Country Music.

In 2006, Willie Nelson's album You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker, received a Grammy nomination for Best Country album. Fred Foster produced the album, which was released nine days before Walker's death. The album included “Bubbles in My Beer”, “You Don't Know Me”, “Sugar Moon”, “I Don't Care” and “Cherokee Maiden”.

Walker's first recorded song was “Lone Star Trail,” recorded by Bing Crosby, the top star of the era. He wrote 50 songs that were recorded by Bob Wills, who was called “the King of Western Swing”.

Walker even had a hit record as an artist in 1944. “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again” reached No. 5 in Advertising signThe most played Juke Box Folk Records, a precursor to today's Hot Country Songs.

Walker had several No. 1 hits Advertising signHot Country Songs charts through the decades, including “Sugar Moon” (Bob Wills, 1947), “Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me” (Eddy Arnold, 1950), “Cherokee Maiden” (Merle Haggard, 1976) and ” You Don't Know Me' (Mickey Gilley, 1981).

Ray Charles recorded “You Don't Know Me” on his landmark 1962 album Modern sounds in country and western music, which topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks. Charles' version of the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Walker's many other hits include “Don't Be Shamed of Your Age” (Ernest Tubb & Red Foley, 1950), “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)” (Roy Orbison, 1962) and “Bubbles in My Beer ” and “Distant Drums” (Jim Reeves).

Walker arguably paved the way for top contemporary country songwriters like Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey. The latter is another of this year's SHOF inductees, along with the aforementioned Steely Dan plus Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley, Dean Pitchford and REM

In addition to these inductees is Diane Warren is set to download the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization's top honor, and SZA is set to receive the Hal David Starlight Award, which recognizes emerging talent.

Walker was a solitary writer. She once explained her approach by saying, “Picasso has no co-painter.” But if an artist gave her the idea or title for a song, she would include it in the credits, like Eddie Arnold, who gave her the idea for “You Don't Know Me.”

Walker shares this penchant for writing solo with Warren, this year's Mercer Prize recipient. Warren collaborates from time to time, but most of the time she works alone.

Given the threads that connect Walker to some of this year's other inductees and honorees, it's a shame her induction was treated separately. The idea should be to show the common threads that unite songwriters across genres and generations.

A BMI writer, Walker wrote every day, waking up at 5 a.m. with a cup of black coffee to start the day in her writing studio. He once said that he knew a song was finished “…once I was ready to fight a room full of tigers not to change a single word.”