"Cherokee Maiden" is a Western swing love song written by Cindy Walker. "Cherokee Maiden" was one of Walker's first hits when it was recorded by Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys in 1941 (OKeh 6568).
Background The title comes from a refrain in the chorus:
Merle Haggard cover
Merle Haggard and The Strangers recorded "Cherokee Maiden" in 1976 (Capitol 4326). It spent 11 weeks on the charts, reaching number one.Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits, p. 147.
Personnel Merle Haggard– vocals, guitar
The Strangers: Roy Nichols – lead guitar Norman Hamlet – steel guitar, dobro Tiny Moore – mandolin Eldon Shamblin– guitar Ronnie Reno – guitar Mark Yeary – piano James Tittle – bass Biff Adam – drums Don Markham – saxophone
Chart history Chart (1976)PeakpositionCanadian RPM Country Tracks1
Other Cover Versions In 2001, a recording by Asleep At The Wheel earned the group a Grammy. In 1984, George Strait recorded a version of the song for the Silver Eagle radio show at the Lone Star Cafe In New York
References
Bibliography Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Billboard Books, 2006.