Bob Wills
James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975), better known as Bob Will… Read Full Bio ↴James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975), better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. Considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western swing, he was universally known as the King of Western Swing.
Wills formed several bands and played radio stations around the South and West until he formed the Texas Playboys in 1934 with Wills on fiddle, Tommy Duncan on piano and vocals, rhythm guitarist June Whalin, tenor banjoist Johnnie Lee Wills, and Kermit Whalin, who played steel guitar and bass. The band played regularly on a Tulsa, Oklahoma radio station, and added Leon McAuliffe on steel guitar, pianist Al Stricklin, drummer Smokey Dacus, and a horn section that expanded the band's sound. Wills favored jazz-like arrangements and the band found national popularity into the 1940s with such hits as "Steel Guitar Rag", "New San Antonio Rose", "Smoke on the Water", "Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima", and "New Spanish Two Step".
Wills and the Texas Playboys recorded with several publishers and companies, including Vocalion, Okeh, Columbia, and MGM, frequently moving. In 1950, he had two top ten hits, "Ida Red Likes the Boogie" and "Faded Love", which were his last hits for a decade. Throughout the 1950s, he struggled with poor health and tenuous finances, but continued to perform frequently despite the decline in popularity of his earlier music as rock and roll took over. Wills had a heart attack in 1962 and a second one the next year, which forced him to disband the Playboys although Wills continued to perform solo.
The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Wills in 1968 and the Texas State Legislature honored him for his contribution to American music.[4] In 1972, Wills accepted a citation from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in Nashville. He was recording an album with fan Merle Haggard in 1973 when a stroke left him comatose until his death in 1975. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1999.
He was born near Kosse, Texas; his father was a fiddle player who along with his grandfather, taught the young Wills to play the fiddle and the mandolin. After several years of drifting, "Jim Rob," then in his 20s, attended barber school, got married, and moved first to Roy, New Mexico then to Turkey, Texas (now considered his home town) to be a barber. He alternated barbering and fiddling even when he moved to Fort Worth to pursue a career in music. It was there that while performing in a medicine show, where he learned comic timing and some of the famous "patter" he later delivered on his records, the show's owner gave him the nickname "Bob."
In Fort Worth, Wills met Herman Arnspinger and formed The Wills Fiddle Band. In 1930 Milton Brown joined the group as lead vocalist and brought a sense of innovation and experimentation to the band, now called the Light Crust Doughboys due to radio sponsorship by the makers of Light Crust Flour. Brown left the band in 1932 to form the Musical Brownies, the first true Western swing band. Brown added twin fiddles, tenor banjo and slap bass, pointing the music in the direction of swing, which they played on local radio and at dancehalls.
Wills remained with the Doughboys and replaced Brown with new singer Tommy Duncan in 1932. He found himself unnable to get along with future Texas Governor W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, the authoritarian host of the Light Crust Doughboy radio show. O'Daniel had parlayed the show's popularity into growing power within Light Crust Flour's parent company, Burrus Mill and Elevator Company and wound up as General Manager, though he despised what he considered "hillbilly music." Wills and Duncan left the Doughboys in 1933 after Wills had missed one show too many due to his sporadic drinking.
After forming a new band, "The Playboys" and relocating to Waco, Wills found enough popularity there to decide on a bigger market. They left Waco in January of 1934 for Oklahoma City. Wills soon settled the renamed "Texas Playboys" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and began broadcasting noontime shows over the 50,000 watt KVOO radio station. Their 12:30-1:15 Monday-Friday broadcasts became a veritable institution in the region. Nearly all of the daily (except Sunday) shows originated from the stage of Cain's Ballroom. In addition, they played dances in the evenings, including regular ones at the ballroom on Thursdays and Saturdays. By 1935 Wills had added horn, reed players and drums to the Playboys. The addition of steel guitar whiz Leon McAuliffe in March, 1935 added not only a formidable instrumentalist but a second engaging vocalist. Wills himself largely sang blues and sentimental ballads.
Wills formed several bands and played radio stations around the South and West until he formed the Texas Playboys in 1934 with Wills on fiddle, Tommy Duncan on piano and vocals, rhythm guitarist June Whalin, tenor banjoist Johnnie Lee Wills, and Kermit Whalin, who played steel guitar and bass. The band played regularly on a Tulsa, Oklahoma radio station, and added Leon McAuliffe on steel guitar, pianist Al Stricklin, drummer Smokey Dacus, and a horn section that expanded the band's sound. Wills favored jazz-like arrangements and the band found national popularity into the 1940s with such hits as "Steel Guitar Rag", "New San Antonio Rose", "Smoke on the Water", "Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima", and "New Spanish Two Step".
Wills and the Texas Playboys recorded with several publishers and companies, including Vocalion, Okeh, Columbia, and MGM, frequently moving. In 1950, he had two top ten hits, "Ida Red Likes the Boogie" and "Faded Love", which were his last hits for a decade. Throughout the 1950s, he struggled with poor health and tenuous finances, but continued to perform frequently despite the decline in popularity of his earlier music as rock and roll took over. Wills had a heart attack in 1962 and a second one the next year, which forced him to disband the Playboys although Wills continued to perform solo.
The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Wills in 1968 and the Texas State Legislature honored him for his contribution to American music.[4] In 1972, Wills accepted a citation from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in Nashville. He was recording an album with fan Merle Haggard in 1973 when a stroke left him comatose until his death in 1975. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1999.
He was born near Kosse, Texas; his father was a fiddle player who along with his grandfather, taught the young Wills to play the fiddle and the mandolin. After several years of drifting, "Jim Rob," then in his 20s, attended barber school, got married, and moved first to Roy, New Mexico then to Turkey, Texas (now considered his home town) to be a barber. He alternated barbering and fiddling even when he moved to Fort Worth to pursue a career in music. It was there that while performing in a medicine show, where he learned comic timing and some of the famous "patter" he later delivered on his records, the show's owner gave him the nickname "Bob."
In Fort Worth, Wills met Herman Arnspinger and formed The Wills Fiddle Band. In 1930 Milton Brown joined the group as lead vocalist and brought a sense of innovation and experimentation to the band, now called the Light Crust Doughboys due to radio sponsorship by the makers of Light Crust Flour. Brown left the band in 1932 to form the Musical Brownies, the first true Western swing band. Brown added twin fiddles, tenor banjo and slap bass, pointing the music in the direction of swing, which they played on local radio and at dancehalls.
Wills remained with the Doughboys and replaced Brown with new singer Tommy Duncan in 1932. He found himself unnable to get along with future Texas Governor W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, the authoritarian host of the Light Crust Doughboy radio show. O'Daniel had parlayed the show's popularity into growing power within Light Crust Flour's parent company, Burrus Mill and Elevator Company and wound up as General Manager, though he despised what he considered "hillbilly music." Wills and Duncan left the Doughboys in 1933 after Wills had missed one show too many due to his sporadic drinking.
After forming a new band, "The Playboys" and relocating to Waco, Wills found enough popularity there to decide on a bigger market. They left Waco in January of 1934 for Oklahoma City. Wills soon settled the renamed "Texas Playboys" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and began broadcasting noontime shows over the 50,000 watt KVOO radio station. Their 12:30-1:15 Monday-Friday broadcasts became a veritable institution in the region. Nearly all of the daily (except Sunday) shows originated from the stage of Cain's Ballroom. In addition, they played dances in the evenings, including regular ones at the ballroom on Thursdays and Saturdays. By 1935 Wills had added horn, reed players and drums to the Playboys. The addition of steel guitar whiz Leon McAuliffe in March, 1935 added not only a formidable instrumentalist but a second engaging vocalist. Wills himself largely sang blues and sentimental ballads.
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Bob Wills Lyrics
A Big Ball in Cowtown When it's sugarcane time Long around about June I'll be wa…
A Maiden's Prayer Twilight falls, Evening shadows find, There 'neath the star…
Across The Alley From The Alamo Across the alley from the Alamo Lived a pinto pony and…
Along the Navajo Trail Every day, along about evening When the sunlight's beginning…
Basin Street Blues Won't you come along with me To the Mississippi We'll take a…
Big Balls In Cowtown Aagghh! Let the ladies split out wide Grab your pardner -…
Blues for Dixie Oh, if you've ever seen that ole Mississippi The queen of…
Brain Cloudy Blues My brain is cloudy, my soul is upside down Yeah, my…
Bubbles In My Beer Ah-ha-na Yeah Just watching the bubbles in my beer But come …
Cherokee Maiden One night when the moon was bright on the moonlit…
Corrina Corrina Corrine Corrina, where you been so long? Corrine Corrina, wh…
Cotto Patch Blues Oh Yeah Sittin' on this plow day dreamin' Thinkin' of the…
Cotton Eyed Joe If it hadn't been for Cotton Eyed Joe I'd been married…
Cotton Patch Blues Oh Yeah Sittin' on this plow day dreamin' Thinkin' of the…
Cross My Heart I Love You I betcha my heart I love you That's what I [Incomprehensible…
Deep Water I'm drifting into Deep Water, I'm starting to care for…
Dog House Blues Lace up your boots and we'll broom on down To a…
Don't Be Ashamed Of Your Age Oh, glad now, yeah Don't be ashamed of your age, no Sing…
Dusty Skies Dusty skies, I can′t see nothing in sight (ah, Tommy) Good…
Elmer's Tune Why are the stars always winkin' and blinkin' above? What ma…
Ev'rything I've Got I've got a new road under my wheels In my heart…
Faded Love As I look at the letters that you wrote to…
Goin' Away Party I'm throwin' a goin' away party A party for a dream…
Hang Your Head In shame Don't your conscience ever bother you Every time you hear m…
Heart To Heart Talk How foolish can you be to be ruled by jealousy Can…
Home In San Antoine Haven't got a worry, haven't got a care Haven't got a…
How Can It Be Wrong It ain't right to hold you tight You tell me that…
I Ain't Got Nobody Ah dang There's a saying going 'round I began to think it's…
I Betcha My Heart I Love You I betcha my heart I love you That's what I [Incomprehensible…
I Can't Go On This Way Moanin' low, moanin' high Hair is turnin' gray Don't care …
I Wonder if You Feel the Way I Do Eight weeks ago tonight we parted It′s so hard to realize…
I'm a Ding Dong Daddy I reckon you all don't know me at all I just…
I'm Gonna Be Boss from Now On The worst thing I did was when I married you You're…
I've Got A New Road Under My Wheels I've got a new road under my wheels In my heart…
Ida Red Light the pilot fire in the grate Clock on the mantle…
Ida Red - 1960 Version Light the pilot fire in the grate Clock on the mantle…
Ida Red Likes the Boogie Light in the parlor, fire in the grate Clock on the…
Keeper Of My Heart Oh yes, mmm You are the keeper of my heart Come in,…
Lil' Liza Jane I've got a gal and you've got none Li'l Liza Jane I've…
Lilly Dale As I hear the Mocking birds, I remember the words When…
Little Cowboy Lullaby Ah-haw Yes, yes, the Little Cowboy's Lullaby Come in Tommy, …
Maiden's Prayer Twilight falls, Evening shadows find, There 'neath the star…
Milk Cow Blues Well, I woke up this morning And I looked out the…
Misery Memories and drinks don't mix too well. Jukebox records don'…
Miss Molly Oh, have you seen Miss Molly Her cheeks are rosy red Her…
My Adobe Hacienda In my adobe hacienda There′s a touch of mexico Cactus loveli…
My Life's Been A Pleasure (Ahh-now) (Ah-just close your eyes and dream a dream) (Yes …
My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You I must say that I don't care Hold my head…
My Window Faces South Oh now, my window faces the South Good old Southland Yeah Se…
New Roly Poly Ah ha Roly Poly, yeah (Come in, Tommy) Roly Poly, eatin' co…
New San Antonio Rose Deep within my heart lies a melody A song of old…
New Spanish Two Step Down below the Rio Grande, a senorita held my hand And…
New Spanish Two-Step Down below the Rio Grande, a senorita held my hand And…
New Texas Playboy Rag Oh, Mister fiddling man, please strike up the band And play…
Nobody's Sweetheart Now You're nobody, nobody's sweetheart now, There's no place fo…
Now San Antonio Rose Deep within my heart lies a melody A song of old…
Oh Lady Be Good Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Oh You Beautiful Doll Honey dear, want you near, Just turn out the lights and…
Oozlin' Daddy Blues Just like a flower I am fading away The doctor call…
Playboy Theme Oh, Mister fiddling man, please strike up the band And play…
Please Don't Leave Me Please don't leave me anymore, darling Partings are so sad m…
Right or Wrong Right or wrong I'll always love you Though you're gone I…
Roly Poly Ah ha Roly Poly, yeah (Come in, Tommy) Roly Poly, eatin' co…
Rose Of Old Pawnee My Rose of Ol' Pawnee a flower of the dawn Blooming…
San Antonio Rose Ah-ha, my San Antonio Rose Deep within my heart lies a…
Santa's On His Way Hooray hooray, Oh hear the merry sleigh Ding a ling, ding a…
Sittin' On Top Of The World Sitting on the top of the world One summer day, She went…
So Let's Rock pari tyo dad ma hera gham lagyo ghamailo lagyo malai ramailo…
Sooner Or Later Sooner or later, love is gonna get ya Sooner or later,…
South Oh now, my window faces the South Good old Southland Yeah Se…
Spanish Two-Step Down below the Rio Grande, a senorita held my hand And…
St. Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Stardust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Stay A Little Closer Oh, gather 'round friends Why hurry? Let's all stay a little…
Steel Guitar Bad Been runnin' around, seen many a town So maybe you'll find…
Straighten Up and Fly Right The buzzard took the monkey for a ride in the…
Sugar Moon When it's sugarcane time Long around about June I'll be walk…
Take Me Back To Texas Where's that gal with the red dress on? Some folks…
Texarkana Baby She's my Texarkana baby, do I lover her Lawdy Law Her…
Texas Blues Aw, yeah That's them old Texas Blues Come in here, Lee, tell…
Texas Playboy Rag Oh, Mister fiddling man, please strike up the band And play…
That's What I Like 'Bout The South Won't you come with me to Alabamy? Let's go see my…
The Kind Of Love I Can't Forget The kind of love I can't forget, dear Was the love…
There's a Big Rock in the Road There's a big rock in the road and it's there…
This Is Southland This is Southland, it just can't be beat So take a…
Thorn In My Heart Ah, la, la, la, yes, yes! Alright, Thomas, let's hear you…
Time Changes Everything There was a time when I thought of no other…
White Cross On Okinawa There's a white cross tonight on Okinawa Under skies of blu…
Whose Heart Are You Breaking Now? Not long ago we loved each other And we were as…
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone Will you miss me when I'm gone? Will you ever think…
With Tears In My Eyes With tears in my eyes, dear, I begged you to…
You Don't Care What Happens to Me Darlin' I love you so But it's kind a hard to…
You're from Texas Pardon me stranger I hope there's no danger You'll think I'm…