On 20 July 1917, songwriter Cindy Walker, born Lucille Walker, was born in Mart, Texas; she went on to write hits recorded by Bing Crosby, Bob Wills, Merle Haggard and many other major country and pop artists. Her career matters as one of the great songwriting success stories of American country music, spanning five decades thanks to her ability to adapt her writing to different styles and performers.

Walker landed her breakthrough in 1940 when, aged 23, she stopped her father's car on Sunset Boulevard to pitch "Lone Star Trail" to Bing Crosby, who took the song to number 23 the following year via Decca Records. She went on to spend 13 years in Los Angeles, performing on stage and radio, appearing in film, and forming a lasting partnership with Bob Wills, who recorded numerous of her songs including "Cherokee Maiden" and "Sugar Moon". Her catalogue also produced hits for Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Hank Snow and Mickey Gilley, cementing her legacy as one of country music's most enduring songwriters.