Bob Wills

Frankie McWhorter grew up in Bob Wills Country and bought his first fiddle with his cowboy wages in 1950. He played with Clyde Chesser and the Texas Village Boys and the Miller Brothers Band before being asked to join Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. McWhorter tells stories of touring with these bands and of his hours spent listening to Wills tell his stories. He also reveals his adventures and misadventures as a working cowboy.

A fine, engaging, and valuable biography of a man who merged the spontaneity of country fiddling with the Big Band Sound, giving birth to Western Swing. A landmark in country music!

The rich and unique history of the 'Lone Star State' is presented in this new book through the lives of a variety of Texans who put a human face on the state's history. Biographical sketches of fifteen famous and little-known men and women of different colors, religions, and economic backgrounds offer new insight into the history of the state. Starting in the sixteenth century with Alvar N?Òez Cabeza de Vaca, the first European to make contact with Texas Indian tribes, and tracing Texas history to the late twentieth century with a final sketch of Gary Gaines, a high-school football coach, The Human Tradition in Texas brings the state's history to life by showing real people and the events and times in which they lived. Written by leading and rising scholars of Texas history, this book presents the major themes and periods in Texas history, including the settling of Anglo-Americans in the region, bringing an American democ-racy that supported slavery; the Civil War and Reconstruction; technologi-cal developments in the late nineteenth century, including railroads and irrigation for crops and livestock; Texas's transformation in the early twentieth century from a world of cotton and cattle to a world of paved streets, electricity and running water; the challenges to modernization faced by the state with the development of the oil industry, the growth in industrialization, and the increasing size of Texas's cities; the new age, with Texas taking leadership roles in the oil, aviation, and entertainment industries; and the expanding inclusiveness of Texas society, nowhere more complete than on the sports field-particularly the football field. A collection of accessible and entertaining essays on this vast, vibrant state, The Human Tradition in Texas is an excellent resource for courses in Texas history and the history of the American West.

They may wear cowboy hats and boots and sing about "faded love," but western swing musicians have always played jazz! From Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys to Asleep at the Wheel, western swing performers have played swing jazz on traditional country instruments, with all of the required elements of jazz, and some of the best solo improvisation ever heard. In this book, Jean A. Boyd explores the origins and development of western swing as a vibrant current in the mainstream of jazz. She focuses in particular on the performers who made the music, drawing on personal interviews with some fifty living western swing musicians. From pioneers such as Cliff Bruner and Eldon Shamblin to current performers such as Johnny Gimble, the musicians make important connections between the big band swing jazz they heard on the radio and the western swing they created and played across the Southwest from Texas to California. From this first-hand testimony, Boyd re-creates the world of western swing-the dance halls, recording studios, and live radio shows that broadcast the music to an enthusiastic listening audience. Although the performers typically came from the same rural roots that nurtured country music, their words make it clear that they considered themselves neither "hillbillies" nor "country pickers," but jazz musicians whose performance approach and repertory were no different from those of mainstream jazz. This important aspect of the western swing story has never been told before.

(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook). All Night Long * Bring It on down to My House * Bubbles in My Beer * Dusty Skies * Faded Love * Fat Boy Rag * Hang Your Head in Shame * I Can't Go On This Way * I Wonder If You Feel the Way I Do * I'm Gonna Be Boss * Ida Red * Keeper of My Heart * A Maiden's Prayer * My Confession * New Texas Playboy Rag * Roly Poly * San Antonio Rose * Smoke On the Water * Spanish Two Step * Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima * Stay a Little Longer (The Hoedown Fiddle Song) * Steel Guitar Rag * Sugar Moon * Take Me Back to Tulsa * Texarkana Baby * Thorn in My Heart * We Might As Well Forget It * White Cross on Okinawa * You Don't Care What Happens to Me * You're From Texas.

Includes a wealth of fiddling lore and illustrations; a guide to buying a fiddle and bow; tips on learning and playing the fiddle; over 800 listings of books, records, fiddling and bluegrass organizations, fiddling schools and camps, violin making supplies, films, etc.; information about fiddle contests.

Imagination is bigger in Texas, too. This collection of inspiring and often quirky stories highlights dozens of examples of innovation from Lone Star history. The Hamill brothers devised a better oil well to reach gushers at Spindletop. The first Neiman-Marcus store opened in Dallas in 1907, revolutionizing the retail fashion world. Astroturf emerged at the Astrodome in 1966. Fritos and corn dogs are just two ubiquitous snack foods claimed as Texan originals. Houston native, and civil rights activist, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan rose to national prominence as a voice of unity during the Watergate scandal. Author Alan C. Elliott details these and many more lessons in success in Texas Ingenuity.

The musical voice of Texas presents itself as vast and diverse as the Lone Star State’s landscape. According to Casey Monahan, “To travel Texas with music as your guide is a year-round opportunity to experience first-hand this amazing cultural force….Texas music offers a vibrant and enjoyable experience through which to understand and enjoy Texas culture.” Building on the work of The Handbook of Texas Music that was published in 2003 and in partnership with the Texas Music Office and the Center for Texas Music History (Texas State University-San Marcos), The Handbook of Texas Music, Second Edition, offers completely updated entries and features new and expanded coverage of the musicians, ensembles, dance halls, festivals, businesses, orchestras, organizations, and genres that have helped define the state’s musical legacy. · More than 850 articles, including almost 400 new entries· 255 images, including more than 170 new photos, sheet music art, and posters that lavishly illustrate the text· Appendix with a stage name listing for musicians Supported by an outstanding team of music advisors from across the state, The Handbook of Texas Music, Second Edition, furnishes new articles on the music festivals, museums, and halls of fame in Texas, as well as the many honky-tonks, concert halls, and clubs big and small, that invite readers to explore their own musical journeys. Scholarship on many of the state’s pioneering groups and the recording industry and professionals who helped produce and promote their music provides fresh insight into the history of Texas music and its influence far beyond the state’s borders. Celebrate the musical tapestry of Texas from A to Z!