Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

Born 6 March 1905 near Kosse, Texas, fiddler Bob Wills ("King of Western Swing") performed at his first dance at age ten. He also played mandolin. His father, John Tompkin Wills, was an accomplished fiddler who won and lost contests with such as Eck Robertson. Wills left home at age sixteen or seventeen on a freight train, changing his name from James Robert Wills to Jim Rob [Wikipedia]. Particularly fond of Bessie Smith, sometime around that period he rode horseback fifty miles to see her perform in Childress, Texas.

The first track of Will's debut recording session was a blues by Clarence Williams titled 'Gulf Coast Blues'. That went down November 1, 1929, in Dallas with 'Wills Breakdown'. Neither of those, recorded with Herman Arnspiger at guitar were issued. Wikipedia explains Milton Brown joining them in 1930 with his brother, Derwood Brown (guitar), to form the Wills Fiddle Band. Touring the Dallas-Ft. Worth region, they found employment as the Aladdin Laddies for the Aladdin Lamp Company on WBAP radio. They became the Light Crust Doughboys at radio KFJZ, singing for Light Crust Flour. Tony Russell's 'Country Music Records' has them recording as the Fort Worth Doughboys in Dallas on February 9, 1932, to lay out 'Nancy Jane' with 'Sunbonnet Sue' toward Victor 23653. Arnspiger was out on that, his place filled by Sleepy Johnson at guitar. Those saw release in March of 1932 per 45 Worlds. Personnel rosters on this page are, as usual, better considered as suggested than perfect.

'Nancy Jane'   Bob Wills (fiddle) w the Fort Worth Doughboys

Wills' 1st recording to issue

9 Feb 1932 at the Jefferson Hotel in Fort Worth   Matrix BVE-70670   Bluebird B-5257

Guitar: Derwood Brown / Sleepy Johnson   Vocal: Milton Brown

Composition: Milton Brown

'Sunbonnet Sue'   Bob Wills (fiddle) w the Fort Worth Doughboys

Wills' 2nd recording to issue

9 Feb 1932 at the Jefferson Hotel in Fort Worth   Matrix BVE-70671   Bluebird B-5257

Guitar: Derwood Brown / Sleepy Johnson   Vocal: Milton Brown

Composition: Milton Brown

Brown left the Doughboys in 1932 to form the Musical Brownies, Wills in 1933 to form the Playboys in Waco. Arnspiger joined Wills as one of the original Texas Playboys in Tulsa, broadcasting on KVOO radio. Among Wills' major associates, Arnspiger would last record with the Playboys in 1940 [CMR] before leaving the music business to become a pilot. Wills shaped the Texas Playboys into a full eleven-member band including sax, trombone and drums for their first session on September 23, 1935, in Dallas, resulting in such as 'Osage Stomp' / 'Get With It' (Vocalion / Okeh 03096) and WC Handy's 'St. Louis Blues' (Vocalion / Okeh 03076). Seven of them also contributed to vocals.

'Osage Stomp'   Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys

First recording by the Texas Playboys

23 Sep 1935 in Dallas   Matrix DAL 126-2   Vocalion 03096

Fiddle: Bob Wills (vocal) / Art Haynes (banjo) / Jesse Ashlock

Sax: Tommy Duncan / Bob McNally   Piano: Al Stricklin

Guitar: Herman Arnspiger / Sleepy Johnson   Banjo: Johnnie Lee Wills

Steel guitar: Leon McAuliffe   Bass: Thomas Lansford   Drums: Smokey Dacus

Composition: Bob Wills

Backing Wills on that debut Playboys session (above) was fiddler and guitarist, Sleepy Johnson, who stuck with Wills to 1938, joining the Playboys once again years later in 1964 toward the issue of 'The Living Legend' (Longhorn Record LP 001). Jesse Ashlock complimented Wills on fiddle to as late as 1946. Johnnie Lee Wills performed on banjo for the Playboys to 1940. He rejoined the Playboys in 1953 for a session resulting in such as 'A Broken Heart for a Souvenir' / 'I Want to Go to Mexico' (MGM 11516). Leon McAuliffe (steel guitar) stuck with Wills to 1942, leaving to form his own band. He would join the Texas Playboys again years later for its last few sessions in 1971 and 1973. Al Stricklin (piano) recorded with the Playboys to 1941, leaving music to help build aircraft in 1942 per World War II. He would join the Texas Playboys again years later in 1965 (: 'Faded Love') and for its last few sessions in 1971 and 1973. Tommy Duncan (vocals) stuck with Wills to 1947, leaving to form his own gang. He reunited with the Texas Playboys from 1960 to 1963. Smokey Dacus (drums) hung with Wills to 1940. He would join the Texas Playboys again years later for its last couple sessions in 1973. Also in that session were Art Haynes on fiddle and trombone, Bob McNally on sax and Thomas Lansford on bass. Other of numerous titles in that session was Will's composition, 'Spanish Two Step':

From the album 'Here's That Man Again' on Kapp Records KS-3542

Trumpet: Bob Phillips / George Tidwell   Sax: Don Tweedy

Fiddle: Bob Wills / Tommy Vaden / Buddy Spicher

Guitar: Harold Bradley / Fred Carter   Banjo: Billy Sanford

Steel guitar: Lloyd Green   Piano: Hargus Robbins

Bass: Bob Moore   Drums: Buddy Harman   Vocal: Ramona Reed

Composition: Rusty McDonald

Wills was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1968. As indicated, the Texas Playboys recorded to 1973, those two sessions on December 3 and 4. The last in which Wills participated was on the 3rd. Most titles from those sessions were released in 1974 on 'For the Last Time'. All Music and Praguefrank's have Wills out on the December 4 session, having endured a stroke on the night of the 3rd. Comments delivered by Hoyle Nix nevertheless sound a lot like Wills:

Fiddle: Merle Haggard / Keith Coleman / Johnny Gimble (mandolin) / Hoyle Nix (comment)

Guitar: Eldon Shamblin   Banjo: Johnny Gimble (dubbed)

Steel guitar: Leon McAuliffe   Piano: Al Stricklin

Bass: Bob Moore / Tommy Allsup / Leon Rausch

Drums: Jody Nix / Smokey Dacus

Composition: Bob Wills

Wills died far too soon on May 13, 1975, in Fort Worth, Texas.