Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys perform a rather hammy version of "Stay a Little Longer." From the DVD "Legends of Western Swing Guitar." More info at stefan-grossma...
A few years ago, I was walking in my neighborhood in Chico, CA and got to talking to an elderly women. She told me a story about how her father got a chance to fiddle with Bob Wills at a local dance. Later, looking through old newspapers, I came across an advertisement that Bob and His Texas Playboys (America's Most Versatile Dance Band) would be in town and playing at the local Veterans Memorial Building. The year was 1945. Moral of this story, stop and visit with the old folks they may just have a few good memories to share.
Dang, we're near the end of 2023 and Bob Wills is still the King. There was a recording engineer who told Bob that he should get rid of all the talking and the background yodeling (from Bob) out of the record. The feller was fired in a minute! Go Bob. Karl
I live not far from the Bob Wills Museum in his hometown, Turkey, Texas. At any time of the day you can go into the coffee shop, sit down, and the guys will be talking about him. He's a legend.
i just watched a short docu-series about "slowly dying towns" in Texas, and Turkey was the last one on the series! It showed that coffee shop and Bob Wills touring bus, immortalized there! I had to look up his music and was not disappointed. I hope your town (Turkey) doesn't completely die off; seems like a place worth keeping alive! Best Wishes from Southern Utah!
This is absolutely amazing! Such great childhood memories listening to this band. When I was 21 years I actually had the opportunity to sit and have a beer with Leon Rausch at the the Chip in bar in Rendon TX. I requested and he had the band do Milk Cow Blues for me even though they had planned it for the finale'. He autographed a dollar bill for me but unfortunately it's been lost to time. One of the best memories of my life.
I really like this video because it reminds me of sitting at my grandparents' house, drinkin' coffee and reminiscing this and that and havin' such a good time, ooda-lolly, ooda-lolly, golly, what a day.
My Grandfather was great friends with Bob Wills. Not in the band but after a gig they would party at his house and play until Morning. Drove my Grandmother nuts. I have his fiddle he fiddled with during all that and am now trying to find a good repair shop to do some work on it. Y'all wish me luck!!
I grew up listening to my mother’s old 78s. While I loved Ernest Tubb, Bob wills was in a class by himself. His music was timeless… would not have been out of place at rock and roll dances in the fifties and sixties.
I realize now that I was a lucky lad growing up in the 70s. My dad had a reel to reel tape player and he had all this music which was rare because up here in Alberta in the 70s very few of our local radio stations played much of this music which I thought strange as it is really is some of the very best. Lots of people would come over to our house to hear dad's music and the local Black Knight tavern even had dad bring in his tape player and get 'em dancing pretty quick on weekends. Oh and him and his buddies would get together and play this music and they were good, I especially liked old May Shaw and her fiddle and she'd be just as drunk as everyone else yet she'd be the one to follow, she'd do a quick tune by ear and start playing and soon everyone who could, was playing along with her.
Just had a right blast learning this tune,, Best lyric I’ve learnt for a little while lol, Grab your gal and pat her on the head, If she don’t like biscuits feed her cornbread,
"grab yo' gal an' pat her on the head If she don't like biscuits, feed 'er cornbread girls down on Big Creek, 'bout half-grown jump on a man like a dog on a bone" Makes me smile ever time I hear it, this is an all time great. Bob Wills and Tomy Duncan Joe Holley (aka "Jody") is the left hand fiddler btw
I found out one of my coworkers was Tommy Duncan’s first cousin. He was amazed that me and buddy knew who he was. Funny thing is he looked so much like him it was scary. Great guy miss him a lot
Night two of the Ken Burns documentary features a lot of this footage. A good little intro with Merle Haggard saying, "Anybody that doesn't like Wills is immediately suspect with me."
I laughed out loud when Merle said this cause I got co workers in Florida that can't stand old country (yet they love that loser new country ) music and they are truly suspect as far I am concerned.
My parents lived in Kansas in the late thirties and early forties. The word was that Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman or the Dorsey brother wouldn't book a gig within 200 miles of where Bob Wills was playing. He'd hurt their ability to draw a big crowd.
I noticed that and wondered why ? why I noticed that is ! seems perfectly natural and its the guys without their 6 guns that actually look odd when ya think about it ! but I go back a long ways , long long ways I guess
Until I was 13, I didn't know there were other musicians...Bob was all our 8 track player in the car would play..thanks to my dad I learned that this is REAL music!!
Everybody knows who Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson are. Before they became famous, they grew up listening to Bob Wills, The Original King of Country Music.
Every New Year's Eve Frank Herman of San Jose would put on a spread every New Year's people come from around the neighborhood sit around and listen to Bob Wills the good times Warrington Avenue 3069
arlichar... bob was a breakdown fiddler, one of the best! He put the band together, wrote, played, hollered, arranged (though Eldon Shamblin was the great guitarist and the main arranger)...it was his baby. In those days you had band leaders who also played, but were the face of the band.
