Grammy Award-winning artist Grey DeLisle has organized a new tribute album honoring Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Cindy Walker. The record, It’s All Her Fault: A Tribute to Cindy Walker, will be released Oct. 10 on Hummin’bird Records.
The project began after DeLisle learned that Walker’s childhood home in Mexia, Texas, had fallen into disrepair. She brought together fellow musicians to record a collection of Walker’s songs, with proceeds from streaming directed to the Cindy Walker Foundation for the home’s renovation.
The album will be announced Friday, Sept. 19, with the release of Kelly Willis’ recording of “I Don’t Care.”
The compilation features an ensemble of women in country and roots music, including Melissa Carper, Jolie Holland, Summer Dean, Amythyst Kiah, Rosie Flores, Brennen Leigh, Katie Shore, Mandy Barnett, Gail Davies, and Ginny Mac. Instrumental contributions include performances by Chris Scruggs and Deke Dickerson. DeLisle served as executive producer and also performs on one track.
Walker, who died in 2006, is regarded as one of country music’s most recorded songwriters. More than 500 of her songs were recorded during her career, and over 400 reached the top 40 of the country or pop charts. Her work was performed by artists such as Bob Wills, Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold, and Willie Nelson. From the 1940s onward, she played a role in shaping the genre’s sound and repertoire.
DeLisle’s career spans music and voice acting. Earlier this year, she released a double LP, The Grey Album. The project came after she returned to songwriting in 2020, following a period away from performing due to severe anxiety. During that time, she built a prolific career as a voice actor in animation, voicing characters including Daphne in Scooby-Doo, Martin in The Simpsons, and roles in SpongeBob SquarePants, King of the Hill, The Loud House, and Rugrats.
With It’s All Her Fault, DeLisle and her collaborators aim both to honor Walker’s legacy and to provide support for preserving the songwriter’s historic home.
The first single, Willis’ “I Don’t Care,” will be available for streaming Friday. The full album follows in October.
