6-CD boxed set (LP-size) with 32-page book, 157 tracks. Playing time: approx. 403 mns.

Bear Family is alone in documenting Billy Walker's career, starting with his first recordings for Capitol, and all the Columbia recordings, including the original version of Funny How Time Slips Away, and hits like Charlie's Shoes, Willie The Weeper, Cross The Brazos At Waco, and Thank You For Calling.

Born in Ralls, Texas, on January 14, 1929, Billy was inspired by Gene Autry to take up music. After getting out of school in 1947, he worked various day jobs before beginning his career fronting for sometime Columbia artist Jimmy Lawson in 1948. He joined the Big D Jamboree in Dallas (where he was billed as the Traveling Texan and wore a Lone Ranger-styled mask) and worked for Hank Thompson in Waco. It was Thompson who got him his first contract with Capitol in 1949. Eighteen months later, Billy switched to Columbia. His first charted hit was Thank You For Calling in 1954.

Billy joined the Louisiana Hayride in 1952, moved to the Ozark Jubilee in '54, flirted briefly with rock 'n' roll, and then returned to Texas to work the beer joints. In 1959, he moved to Nashville to join the Grand Ole Opry, and remained a member until his death. His records began charting with more regularity. His original version of Funny How Time Slips Away stalled at #23 on the country charts, but the follow-up, Charlie's Shoes, hit the top spot in 1962. He continued to chart records regularly into the 1980s, and his last records were on his own Tall Texan label.

An engaging raconteur with a bottomless fund of stories, Billy was a much-loved character in Nashville. He was returning from a gig in Gulf Shores, Alabama when his van ran off the road and overturned. Those killed alongside him included his wife, Bettie, and a friend, Daniel Patton. -- We at Bear Family have reissued one of Billy's rock 'n' roll recordings in our ''That'll Flat Git It'' series, but we have also reissued all of his recordings complete from 1949-1965 on this complete 6-CD set.

Track Listing

• Headin' For Heartaches
• I'm Gonna Take My Heart Away From You
• You're Gonna Pay With A Broken Heart
• You Didn't Try And Didn't Care
• Too Many Times
• Dirt 'Neath Your Feet
• I Guess I'll Have To Die
• Anything Your Heart Desires
• The Last Kiss Is The Sweetest
• Alcohol Love
• I Ain't Got No Roses
• Beautiful Brown Eyes
• Don't Tell A Soul I Love You
• She's Got Honky Tonk Blood (In Her Veins)
• What Would You Do
• Always Think Of You
• Ting-A-Ling
• Fifteen Hugs Past Midnight (Twenty Kisses)
• Millie Darling
• What Makes Me Love You (Like I Do)
• One Heart's Beatin', One Heart's Cheatin'
• If I Should Live That Long
• Stolen Love
• Who Took My Ring From Your Finger
• Back Street Affair
• You Can Talk Me Out Of Anything (But You)
• True Love's So Hard To Find
• You Have My Heart Now/You Know You Did
• The One You Hurt
• I Can Tell
• I Had A Dream
• I'm Looking For Love
• Gal About Town
• I Didn't Have The Nerve It Took To Go
• Don't Let Your Pride Break Your Heart
• Mexican Joe
• Time Will Tell
• It Hurts Too Much To Laugh
• I Got Lost Along The Way
• I Can't Keep The Girls Away
• Thank You For Calling
• Candle Light
• Pretend You Just Don't Know Me
• I'm A Fool To Care
• Going-Going-Gone!
• Kissing You
• You're The Only Good Thing
• Let Me Hear From You
• Hey!
• Fool That I Am
• The Record
• Which One Of Us Is To Blame (&JEANETTE HICKS)
• Let's Make Memories Tonight(& JEANETTE HICKS)
• Whirlpool
• Go Ahead And Make Me Cry
• The Most Important Thing
• Can't You Love Me Just A Little
• Blue Mountain Waltz (& JEANETTE HICKS)
• Why Does It Have To Be (& JEANETTE HICKS)
• So Far
• Little Baggy Britches
• Leavin' On My Mind
• I'll Never Stand In Your Way
• Untamed Heart
• Especially For Fools
• If You Were Happy (Then I'm Satisfied)
• Headin' Down The Wrong Highway
• On My Mind Again (& THE CRICKETS)
• Viva La Matador! (& THE CRICKETS)
• I Care No More
• The Image Of Me
• I Need It
• Where My Baby Goes (She Goes With Me)
• Put Your Hand In Mine
• It'll Take A While
• It's Doggone Tough On Me
• Ghost Of A Promise
• Love's Got A Hold Of Me
• I Dreamed Of An Old Love Affair
• Mr. Heartache
• I Thought About You
• The Storm Within My Heart
• One Way Give And Take
• A Woman Like You
• I Call It Heaven (& RAY PRICE)
• Forever
• Farewell Party
• Changed My Mind
• Gotta Find A Way
• I'll Be True To You
• Little Lover
• I Wish You Love
• Yes, I've Made it
• Faded Lights And Lonesome People

• Let's Think About Livin'/Alone With You
• They'll Never Take Her Love From Me
• I Take The Chance
• Guess Things Happen That Way
• (Remember Me) I'm The One Who Loves You
• Molly Darling
• Rockin' Alone (In An Old Rockin' Chair)
• Gonna Find Me A Bluebird
• There Stands The Glass
• Jambalaya
• Charlie's Shoes
• Funny How Time Slips Away
• Joey's Back In Town
• Wild Colonial Boy
• I Know I'm Lying
• The Next Voice You Hear
• Willie The Weeper
• It's Me Not Them
• Lovely Hula Hands
• Beggin' For Trouble
• Plaything
• I've Got A New Heartache
• Give Back My Heart
• Ancient History
• The Man Who Had Everything
• These Arms Of Mine
• Throw Me Out
• Storm Of Love
• That Would Sure Go Good
• Heart Be Careful
• Circumstances
• It's Lonesome
• The Morning Paper
• Coming Back For More
• Cross The Brazos At Waco
• Down To My Last Cigarette
• It It Pleases You
• I'm So Miserable Without You
• Matamoros
• Samuel Colt
• Blue Moonlight
• Come A Little Bit Closer
• The Gun, The Gold, The Girl
• The Blizzard
• Pancho Villa
• Cattle Call
• Amigo's Guitar
• The Lawman
• Buy Juanita Some Flowers
• I'm Nothin' To You
• Smokey Memories
• Nobody but A Fool
• Pretend You Don't See Me
• Don't Change

Additional Details

Label: Bear Family Records

Genre: Country

Run Time: 403 mins

Release Date: 01/02/07

UPC: 4000127156570