Biography
The Walker Family Singers are an a capella gospel septet from Como, Mississippi. They are led by octogenarian Raymond Walker, a descendent of generations of preachers in the Delta region. He and his wife Joella are joined by daughters Alberta, Patricia, and Delouse, and sons Robert and Bobby.
Raymond Walker had several opportunities in the 1950s and ’60s to make his living as a singer. A common story is that he was recruited by both Mississippi Fred McDowell and Sam Cooke to go on the road, but turned both down in order attend his family. He was, however, a member of the Longtime Travelers, a gospel vocal group considered legendary in Mississippi and among the music’s aficionados, but they were never recorded.
The Walker Family Singers were captured on tape at home by Michael Reilly for Daptone as part of their a cappella gospel series. There were recordings by various members of the group on the first album in the series, Como Now: The Voices of Panola County, MS. According to the producer, it took seven years to realize this project because of the daunting depth of their repertoire. “Their songbook runs so deep that they don’t always even know what they know.” Panola County Spirit was released in early 2016. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
