I first heard Jerry Jeff Walker in 1974 when I was a senior in high school. I don’t recall the song, but I remember the morning I heard his voice. I was such a huge fan of top forty country that Jerry Jeff’s sound was almost a shock. It was so unique, I literally sat straight up in my bed and said, “What the hell?” Afterwards, every time a Jerry Jeff song played, I turned it up. The laid-back authenticity of Scamp Walker’s delivery made his sound feel easy and real; his voice has the familiar quality of a long-lost friend. We never really became friends, though. I’m not exactly sure why, even though we crossed paths more than a time or two. I think I just wanted to stand back and listen to the man sing. That voice and his songs were all I needed to know about Jerry Jeff Walker. His music was what led me to the well-worn bridge that spans the wide chasm from music lover to music maker. For that, I’m eternally grateful to the man and his music