Billy Walker - Well, Hello There: The Country Chart Hits and More (1954-1962) (2018)

Known throughout his career as 'The Tall Texan' Billy Walker was an ever present in country music from the mid 1940s up to the 21st century. His biggest sustained success came through the mid 1960s onwards, but prior to that Billy had recorded prolifically for some of the biggest record labels in the world, scoring enough hits to keep those record labels invested in promoting his records. 'Well, Hello There' is a potent overview of Billy's 1950s and early 1960s sides. It includes all of his Billboard Country Chart Hits plus a generous helping of 45s and album cuts that show he was adept at handling anything his record label required of him, from the rockabilly of "I've Got Leavin' On My Mind" to the rockin' western swing of "Whirlpool" to ballads like his first hit "Thank You For Calling" and Billy's original version of the standard "Funny How Time Slips Away" and the shuffle beat of his biggest ever country hit, the #1 single "Charlie's Shoes". It was his ability to handle any type of song that kept Billy popular long after most of his peers had called it a day. He was still an in demand performer when he, his wife and most of his band died in a road accident in May 2006. This single CD cannot be bettered as a representation of the early years of Billy Walker. As with all Jasmine packages it's beautifully re-mastered from the best available sources and sequence for maximum listening pleasure.