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I want to recognize a Leon
County Texas Star, who as one of the greatest musicians and the best
fiddler, achieved a legacy of the music world for fifty-eight years.
Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing,
was born James Robert Wills in 1905 to Johnny and Emmaline (Foley)
Wills on a farm between Farrar and Jewett. He was the first of
ten children. Bob was the third generation in Texas and was born
into a fiddling family. He with a natural talent of music,
captured recognition and fame at a young age. His popularity as a
famous fiddler and a genius at the western swing music, was well known.
He was known as the most famous musician of Texas and many other parts
of the United States.
Bob's dad and his relatives, Amos
Foley and his sons Tom, James, Felix and George were all fiddlers.
These two families provided Texas with the best fiddlers to be found.
Bob, with his family, lived in Kosse,
Texas as a youngster. Then the Wills family moved to Centerville,
near Guys Store. The family farmed and ranched, yet the true love
of the Wills and Foley families was their fiddling music.
Bob was a natural fiddler and wanted
to pursue his music career. He lived with his uncle Tom Foley in
the Friendship Community in Leon County for two years. They
fiddled their way across Texas. Uncle Tom gave his first fiddle
to Bob. It hangs in the Music Hall of Fame in Tennessee.
Later, Bob with his family, moved to
Hall County, Texas by covered wagon, where Bob began his music career.
His first public fiddle playing was at a ranch house dance in Hall
County. This was the beginning of the most famous fiddle player
of all time.
Bob Wills soon was the King of
Western Swing and his Uncle Tom made World Champion Fiddler in 1948.
From the house dance of Hall County,
Bob made his radio debut on KGRS and WDAG in Amarillo, TX. Then
he formed the Wills Fiddle Band. They were named Alladin Ladies
and performed on WBAP, later recording as the Fort Worth Doughboys.
In 1931 Bob became one to the
original Lightcrust Doughboys, the most popular radio band of that
time. Then Bob with his first playboy band formed in 1933 in
Waco, TX, playing radio KVOO and performing for dances and shows as The
Texas Playboys for many years. They recorded numerous hits,
making movies and touring nationwide. Later they appeared on TV
shows throughout the southwest, west coast and Las Vegas, achieving a
fame and a popularity like no other band. They recorded 551
selections, Bob composing his popular and lovely San Antonio Rose and
many more. Some were recorded by other artists, including Big
Crosby.
Bob Wills, with his variety of jazz
western swing music, was given many awards on honors, which included
Country Music Hall of Fame, ASCAP, Texas and Oklahoma State
Legislature, Kosse Hall of Fame, National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and
Country Western Music of Los Angeles, CA.
After fifty-eight years of
performance, Bob Wills was known as the most famous Leon and Limestone
Counties native son. We lost Bob Wills in 1975. He died in
Ft. Worth and he was buried in Memorial Park in Tulsa, OK. He may
be gone but he will never be forgotten. His legacy as the
greatest Leon County musician is as strong or stronger then when he was
alive. His recordings are still popular with the older generation
and the youth find his western swing music as captivating for listening
and dancing to.
An annual event of the Bob Wills
Reunion is held the last Saturday in April in Turkey, TX. Many
are in attendance for a Bob Wills Memorial. A monument honors the
great Bob Wills and a museum with a lot of memorabilia of Bob Wills is
a most popular Texas heritage. |