Tracking Dumas Walker!

Many of us from my generation can shout out the line, “We’ll get a slaw-burger, fries
And a bottle of Ski, Bring it on out to my baby and me!” to the song, “Dumas Walker”. The popular song came from the Kentucky Headhunters’ No. 2 country album, “Pickin’ on Nashville”. “Dumas Walker followed their previous hit, “Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine.” The song was written by the Kentucky Headhunters. Credit is given to all five then-current members of the group – Doug Phelps, Fred Young, Greg Martin, Richard Young and Ricky Lee Phelps.

The Dumas Walker music video aired on CMT featuring Dumas Walker in a cameo appearance playing marbles.

Many things about this song make you wonder and want. Don’t I need a slaw burger? Yes, I think I do! I would like a hamburger with mayonnaise type coleslaw on top. Give me the fries too. When was the last time I had a bottle of Ski? I think with Kate Goelzhauser, editor of the Lawn and Garden Tractor Magazine. She loves this citrusy drink.

The song Dumas Walker, makes you smile. For fans and curious people like me, I want to know, who was Dumas Walker? Where did this all happen?

Getting the story

Fred Young, drummer and vocalist for the Headhunters, said that Dumas Walker’s was a package liquor store. He shared it was located just over the Kentucky border in Moss, Tennessee. Keith and I were headed from our visit with Fred to Chattanooga and decided to check it out.

Fred said they received a plaque for their song. We went in search of the building and the plaque!

Celina, Tennessee the plaque

Our first go round was a bust. We drove through Moss, Tennessee. But we didn’t listen very well to Fred’s direction. We took pictures of a couple buildings. But they were all wrong. We decided to stop again on our way home.

However, in Celina, we hit paydirt. A lovely courthouse and antique store caught our attention. We shopped and played tourist. Keith asked the antique store owner if he knew the Dumas Walker story. He said he did and shared that Dumus Walker was a marble champion. He has some of the special Rolley Hole marbles in his store used in competitions.

Almost across the street from his store on Aug. 18, 2021, there had been a dedication ceremony. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development placed a marker commemorating the life of Dumas Walker. The marker explains just who Walker was. It shared his relationship to the Headhunters. “Then 74 years old, he owned Walker’s Package Store on Tennessee Highway 52, in Moss, Tennessee, just south of the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. The Headhunters lived 30 miles north of Walker’s store, and first met him in Moss when they traveled there as children to buy fireworks and watch him play marbles. In the “Dumas Walker” music video, Walker played marbles on a pool table, and the song referred to him as “the marble king.”

This marker is part of the new Tennesse Music Pathways.

Back to Moss!

So, we found where the dedication took place. Now we needed to go back and find the Dumas Walker building. Our mistake had been looking inside the city limits. We soon found the now closed building.

At the Grammy’s that year, in 1991, the song was on the Album of the Year, and the Headhunters won the best new vocal group. Dumas Walker is said to have autographed Ski bottles with his newfound fame. After the store was sold, his widow would not allow the new owners to have the Dumas Walker name.

The Headhunters have had many wonderful albums, and songs. This was travel worthy fun! Where will your next music travel take you? We love traveling for history, farming and music stops!