Don Walser
I knew Don Walser had been ill for some time now, but I was still shocked when he died this past week. I was introduced to Don by a neighbor many years ago when she gave my husband one of Don's CD's for his birthday. I kept thinking, as I listened to the CD, that the fiddle player sounded very familiar. I finally looked at the liner notes and realized that the fiddle player was my old friend and past room mate, Howard Kalish! What a surprise! From then on I was a Don Walser fan. So here are some of the many articles out there on Don's passing. He will be missed by many, but not as sorely as by the folks here in Austin. We love ya Don. Happy Trails.
Country star Walser dead at 72
AUSTIN — Country music singer Don Walser, whose wide appeal made him a popular opening act for performers ranging from Johnny Cash to the rock band Ministry, has died. He was 72.
Walser died Wednesday after a lengthy illness, said Howard Kalish, who played fiddle in Walser's Pure Texas Band.
Dubbed the "Pavarotti of the Plains," Walser's biggest success came at age 64 when he signed with Sire Records, the label of Madonna and the Ramones.
He debuted at the Grand Ol' Opry in 1999 but was most interested in exposing country music to new audiences, the Austin American-Statesman reported Wednesday. Walser opened for rock bands like the Butthole Surfers, introducing younger crowds to Western classics like "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Cherokee Maidens."
"He loved it when some kid with a ring in their nose would bring their parents and their grandparents," Kalish told The Associated Press. "It was part of his genuineness that came across."
Walser's career didn't really get off the ground until the late 1980s, when he began playing small venues after spending 45 years with the National Guard.
In 2000, Walser was given the National Heritage Award in Washington.
He is survived by his wife Pat and their four children.
September 20, 2006 - 7:38 p.m. CDT
Copyright 2006, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
All Things Considered, September 21, 2006
NPR
Don Walser, Yodeler Extraordinaire
by Melissa Block
· Melissa Block remembers country music singer and yodeler Don Walser, who was known as the Pavarotti of the Plains. He died Wednesday at the age of 72.
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Funeral Services for Don Walser will take place:
Monday, September 25
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
5201 Convict Hill Road (Next to Oak Hill Library)
Austin Texas
Visitation is 9:00AM – 1:00PM at the church
Funeral Services at 3:00PM
Donations to off-set medical and funeral expenses can be made to: (donations are not tax deductible)
Don Walser Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 90306
Austin, TX 78709-0306
Family and friends are meeting at Threadgill's World Headquarters on Riverside & Barton Springs after the funeral service with an impromptu jam featuring Don's band members and other friends and musicians. Everyone is welcome.
Country star Walser dead at 72
AUSTIN — Country music singer Don Walser, whose wide appeal made him a popular opening act for performers ranging from Johnny Cash to the rock band Ministry, has died. He was 72.
Walser died Wednesday after a lengthy illness, said Howard Kalish, who played fiddle in Walser's Pure Texas Band.
Dubbed the "Pavarotti of the Plains," Walser's biggest success came at age 64 when he signed with Sire Records, the label of Madonna and the Ramones.
He debuted at the Grand Ol' Opry in 1999 but was most interested in exposing country music to new audiences, the Austin American-Statesman reported Wednesday. Walser opened for rock bands like the Butthole Surfers, introducing younger crowds to Western classics like "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Cherokee Maidens."
"He loved it when some kid with a ring in their nose would bring their parents and their grandparents," Kalish told The Associated Press. "It was part of his genuineness that came across."
Walser's career didn't really get off the ground until the late 1980s, when he began playing small venues after spending 45 years with the National Guard.
In 2000, Walser was given the National Heritage Award in Washington.
He is survived by his wife Pat and their four children.
September 20, 2006 - 7:38 p.m. CDT
Copyright 2006, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
All Things Considered, September 21, 2006
NPR
Don Walser, Yodeler Extraordinaire
by Melissa Block
· Melissa Block remembers country music singer and yodeler Don Walser, who was known as the Pavarotti of the Plains. He died Wednesday at the age of 72.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funeral Services for Don Walser will take place:
Monday, September 25
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
5201 Convict Hill Road (Next to Oak Hill Library)
Austin Texas
Visitation is 9:00AM – 1:00PM at the church
Funeral Services at 3:00PM
Donations to off-set medical and funeral expenses can be made to: (donations are not tax deductible)
Don Walser Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 90306
Austin, TX 78709-0306
Family and friends are meeting at Threadgill's World Headquarters on Riverside & Barton Springs after the funeral service with an impromptu jam featuring Don's band members and other friends and musicians. Everyone is welcome.
posted by AustiNative | 8:28 AM
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