My connection toi Western-Swing:

[Gene Jones]

In 1946, when I was not yet old enough to drive, I would go to the VFW building where they held dances with out of town bands.

Not old enough to enter, I would watch and listen outside a window to the hall to such Oklahoma bands as Billy Foust and the Western Okies and many others of that era who played Bob Wills music.

That early time influenced me forever to favor western-swing music, which I still do today.

[Fred Shannon]

Well, Cowboy, from another Cowboy. My first experience with Western Swing came in the early '40s with the great Bob Wills on the radio from Ft Worth every noon time. I used to run home from school for lunch and 30 minutes of the Playboys on our old Philco portable radio (grandmother would heat the batteries in the oven for me). I was 7 or 8 years old at the time and I knew I would be playing that music for certain. Started professionally when I was just 16 years old playing lead and then switched to steel. Born and raised on it and at one time I had every record and album Wills cut. Lost most of it in a fire about 7 years ago. I still have all of Milton Brown and The Brownies stuff along with the Wills big album. I even played the Ship's Lounge in Amarillo.

phred

[Ray Harrison]

With my Dad and two Brothers I grew up playing Bob Wills, Spade Cooley, and all of the great Western Swing of those days. Often times I had the pleasure of having Jimmy Revard or Adolph Hofner in the house playing with us. Some really great times growing up.

[Steve Kirtley]

When my father-in-law was a kid in Oklahoma he used to ride his pony to town whenever Bob Wills was playing. He was too young to go into the dance hall but he'd stand outside and listen.

When I started going with his daughter (now my wife), I met him for the first time. When the subject got to music I mentioned that I liked Bob Wills and a big smile came over his face. Everything was ok after that. A few years later I took him to a Bob Wills Reunion weekend in Fresno, CA and we both had a great time.

He's gone now but there are a lot of great memories.

Steve

[Jack Harper]

alright, ...mr jones gave ya'll a platform to bring up some good memories, thats what the holidays are made for, keep 'em comin'.... great thread.
happy holidays gene jones!
ray and stevem too....
country.....

[Gene Jones]

Thank you Jack.....

When Hank Thompson came along in the late 1940's most of the Bob Wills fans thought he was a "wannabe" who would never amount to anything. How wrong they were!

Me and some of my friends drove a burned-out 1937 Ford without a windshield, in a snowstorm, from Granite, Oklahoma, to Wellington, Texas in 1948 to see Hank perform his first hit at a dance.

I was forever hooked on Hank, but it never diminished my appreciation for Bob Wills who "did it first", and I earned much of my income for many years playing that classic music from both Bob Wills and Hank Thompson

[Charles Davidson]

Fred Shannon,My first pro gig was at 16 also in 1955 playing guitar in an eight piece western swing band. A big dancehall in Phenix City Ala,at Idle Hour park. [Any of you guys that was stationed at Fort Benning in the 50's proberly remember it]Thur,Fri,and Sat night,Making eight dollars a night.Over the last fifty years have played in countless bands I can't remember,But remember those days like it was yesterday,talk about sweet memories . YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

[Tom Harris]

I remember watching George Jones on Austin City Limits one night and My Idol Hank Thompson was his special guest,,when Ole George introduced Hank he said,"Folks,,we all know that Bob Wills Is King Of western Swing,so,this guy here ( Hank ) must be the Queen of Western Swing,,cause He Is hanging close to Ole Bob",,lol,Hank said,,"thanks George,,I never been introduced as Queen before,,but since you put It that way,,guess It't O K...Bob Wills and Hank Thompson has been my idols since I started listening to music around the mid 40ies,,and my like for them Is still as strong as It was back then,,,R I P Bob and Hank..
Tom Harris...

[Jerry Horner]

Gene mentioned a band lead by Billy Foust. Billy had a little known steel player by the name of Tommy Elliot. Tommy was just a super player who later played several years with Merl Lindsay and and The Oklahoma Nightriders and then ended his playing time with The Johnnie Lee Wills Band. It is my understanding that Tommy died in a house fire several years ago in Tulsa.

Jerry

[Roual Ranes]

Those were the days and those were the bands. They didn't stick to just one type at a dance, they played everything. Country, Western Swing, Big Band Pop Hits and everything else.........sure were great.