He wrote Mr. Bojangles. Jerry Jeff Walker. I think my favorite versions of the song are done by, first - Sammy Davis, Jr. and then the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Above is a photo of his DLA called A MAn Must Carry On. It is in poor condition and I could not care less. It was once owned by WRSE 88.7 FM radio station. The great Gary P. Nunn plays bass on this live record. It is said, "Walker has said he was inspired to write the song after an encounter with a street performer in a New Orleans jail and does not refer to the famous stage and movie personality Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Walker said while in jail for public intoxication in 1965, he met a homeless white man who called himself "Mr. Bojangles" to conceal his true identity from the police. He had been arrested as part of a police sweep of indigent people that was carried out following a high-profile murder. The two men and others in the cell chatted about all manner of things, but when Mr. Bojangles told a story about his dog, the mood in the room turned heavy. Someone else in the cell asked for something to lighten the mood, and Mr. Bojangles obliged with a tap dance. The song is notated in two aurally equivalent time signatures, 3/4 and 6/8.
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