Cindy Walker with Billy Chernoff at Old Fort Parker (Groesbeck, TX)

     Those who attended A SUMMERs NIGHT at Historic OLD FORT PARKER joined local award-winning songwriter Cindy Walker for the Fort Parker Historical Society's inaugural fundraiser for the amphitheatre project. Walker, who is a member of the Country Music Association Hall of Fame, the Texas Hall of Fame, and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, was honored with a special tribute of a handful of her more than 400 recorded songs. Billy Chernoff, currently residing in Mexia, Texas (Cindy Walker's hometown), performed "Blue Canadian Rockies", "In The Misty Moonlight" and "China Doll".

     Her songs have been recorded by artists such as Elvis Presley, Bette Midler, Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Grandpa Jones, Bob Wills, Roy Rogers, and Perry Como. Cindy's first recording was "Lone Star Trail", by Bing Crosby. In the mid-1950s, Cindy returned home, from Hollywood, to Mexia, Texas where she continued to write and turn out top songs like "Anna Marie", "Distant Drums", "Dream Baby", "I Don't Care", "In The Misty Moonlight", and "You Don't Know Me". (* source - from the evening's program at "A SUMMERs NIGHT at Historic OLD FORT PARKER" - June 5, 1999 and "The Mexia DAILY NEWS - June 16, 1999)