That man had magic.
He could turn you on and make you want to perform
The impossible.
– Texas Playboy Al Stricklin
You can change
the name of an old
song, rearrange it
And make it swing.
– bob wills
I road horseback
from the place between the rivers to childress to see
bessie smith…the greatest
thing I had ever heard.
– bob wills
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Bob Wills Heritage Foundation, Inc. Authorized by the Estate of Bob Wills, Inc.
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PO Box 1945 | Burleson, TX 76097
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“Tear it down boys…tear it down…”
Imagine an empty dancehall, the fresh scent of powdery wax on the floor and echoes of good times gone before. The year? 1938. A gray-haired woman sits at the ticket window and a man wearing Old Spice and hair tonic positions at the door. People arrive. All ages, all walks.
The room darkens. Eyes focus on the stage as the platform fills; the dancehall owner and musicians wearing white shirts, ties, boots and brown pants.
“Ladies and gents,” the proprietor drawls, his lanky body mimicking the tall microphone, “Tonight, you’re in for a dancin’ good time, believe you me. We’re glad you’re here, be good to one another and now let’s welcome the man and the band…the ones you’ve come to hear…the one and only…Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys!”
The sound of the steel guitar rips through the air. Toes tap and bodies sway. Fiddle in hand, the bandleader appears. Early-thirties and darkly handsome, he glances toward the musicians and then nods to the audience. Lifting his fiddle, eyes to the crowd, he puts bow to strings, raises his eyebrows and hollers “Aw…haa! Let’s play it, boys!”
"See how Bob's unlikely life came to light in this timeline! Click on the picture below to watch the slideshow."
READ ABOUT BOB
His animated presence thrilled audiences in dance halls, over the radio and in the movies. His energy lifted spiritis. His music moved and his style inspired. Thankfully, many oral and written histories about his life and music have been gathered.
“Bob demanded constant readiness so that each musician could play a solo at a split second’s notice.” — David Stricklin
“Bob wanted a beat so strong that you could lay it down, take an hour off for lunch, come back and it would still be there." — Smoky Dacus
“Bob was the best damn fiddle player in the world!” — Merle Haggard
“He was “a super-giant before there were super-giants…” — New York Times Obituary
“Bob would not allow music to be put into a straitjacket. It did not have to conform to anything but human feeling.” — Smoky Dacus
“Bob Wills is still the King.” — Waylon Jennings