Today on the program, we're proud to present the story behind the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills. One of the most influential and iconic bandleaders and musicians of the 1930s-1950s, Bob came from a humble life of a poor sharecropping family, and was deeply influenced by old-time and breakdown fiddle through his Texas state champion family of fiddlers in his father and uncle. Bob also loved all the turn-of-the-century and 1920s black music, and this confluence of cultures would help him create the craze that became Western swing, and the details of his journey to get there will surprise you.
Story by Brent Davis and Nicholas Edward Williams