James A. "Jimmy" Walker's Obituary
James A. “Jimmy” Walker, a Memphis musician and record producer, died at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis early in the morning of April 30, 2011, following a long battle with cancer. He was 74. Jimmy was born in Memphis on March 2, 1937, the son of James Henry and Johnnie Alford Walker. He was involved in music from his teens, playing the clarinet and saxophone with the band at Treadwell High School. He also learned to play the steel guitar, and performed with bands in nightclubs throughout West Tennessee and eastern Arkansas. He later added the drums and keyboard to his musical repertoire. Walker worked as a piano tuner by day, and played in various bands by night. He also began taking flying lessons while in his 20s, eventually earning a commercial pilots license. He was also a talented water skier, becoming one of the first in the world to barefoot ski. He performed in ski shows at Cypress Gardens in Florida and on McKellar Lake. He worked as a flying instructor at Memphis Aero before being hired by Allegheny Airlines (later USAir) in Pittsburgh in 1964. His aviation career was cut short in 1971 when he was co-pilot of a plane attempting a landing at New Haven, Connecticut. He was one of the few survivors of the crash, which left him severely burned and with the loss of both legs. After numerous surgeries and a year and a half in recuperation Jimmy returned to his roots in music. He formed his own music studio in Memphis, AirTrans Records, and worked with such artists as Al Green, Cybil Shepherd, Marvell Thomas, Sam ‘the Sham’ Samudio, and Jimmy Hart over the next thirty years. He was also a pioneer in using computer software to create a big band sound, and some of his tracks were used with the Miss America contest. Jimmy relocated to Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas, in the early 2000s, where he continued to operate his studio. He also began performing at local venues and senior citizen centers in Memphis with keyboard and computers to create a one-man Big Band sound. He was a recipient of the Music Pioneer Award from United Music Heritage, Inc. in 2000. Jimmy was also active in civic affairs and served as a council member for the Town of Horseshoe Lake over the past several years. He was a past president of the Lewis Senior Center in Memphis. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, and an Al Chymia Shriner. He was a member of St. Mary’s on the Lake Catholic Church at Horseshoe. Jimmy is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Nikki Lentz Walker, his canine companions, Pancho and Charo, and the numerous friends who have come to know and love him over the years. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Sunday, May 1 and funeral services will be 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 2 at Memorial Park Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Historic Elmwood Cemetery.
What’s your fondest memory of James?
What’s a lesson you learned from James?
Share a story where James' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with James you’ll never forget.
How did James make you smile?