This Week in the West: Bob Wills

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 28: BOB WILLS

📢 Episode Summary: On this week’s episode of This Week in The West, we celebrate the life and legacy of Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing. Broadcasting from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, the show takes listeners deep into the roots of a musical style that shook up the 1930s and beyond. Wills and his Texas Playboys blended country, jazz, blues, Dixieland, and even polka to create a sound that was fresh, lively, and irresistible — and they introduced it to the world through the airwaves of Tulsa’s KVOO radio station.

Marking the 50th anniversary of Bob Wills’ passing, the episode traces his journey from a small Texas town to national stardom. You’ll hear how Wills’ childhood in the cotton fields exposed him to a wide range of musical influences, how he developed his signature style as a young performer, and how songs like “New San Antonio Rose” catapulted him to fame. Even after personal struggles and the breakup of the Texas Playboys, Wills’ music continued to inspire generations of artists and earned him places in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• How Bob Wills blended country, jazz, blues, and other styles to invent Western Swing
• The story behind the Texas Playboys’ rise to fame on Tulsa’s KVOO radio
• Why Bob Wills’ musical legacy still resonates with today’s artists and audiences

👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler

🔗 Further research:

• The Bob Wills & Johnnie Lee Wills Photograph Collection at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: https://images.nationalcowboymuseum.org/islandora/object/ncm%3A226137
• Country Music Hall of Fame: Bob Wills: https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/bob-wills
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys

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🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map

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