Bob Wills Days. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys

Like many people my age I have never been to Bob Wills Days in Turkey, Texas. I’ve never actually owned a Bob Wills record. However I have heard his songs and I have heard his influence in music.

Every year for 37 years now in what may seem like a pilgrimage of Western Swing lovers. Turkey, TX, a city of around 600 is overrun by thousands from all over the country and the world. People from Belgium, Germany, England and other countries come to hear and experience the music they love.

I have met many accomplished musicians in my day and many have come from our area the Panhandle. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys stand out as one of if not
the greatest influences on music to have Texas roots and Texas Panhandle roots. Being inducted into the Country Music Hall of fame in 1968 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 one of only a few musicians to attain the honor of being inducted into both, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash being the others. Just this year he was given the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.

Bob Wills passed away in the mid seventies...obviously no interview to be had. So I went to the next best source I could find. Dr. Charles Townsend, the biographer of Bob Wills and author of San Antonio Rose –The Life and Music of Bob Wills.

Dr. Townsend is one of the foremost authorities on the life of Bob Wills. He has interviewed Bob Wills 75 times and extensive research interviewing the surviving members of his band.

I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Townsend myself and I wish I had the space in this article to share many of the stories he shared with me.

Bob Wills’ music influenced many and changed the face of music, “To the right he began to influence Country music in Nashville. On the Left he began to influence people like Elvis and particularly Bill Haley and the Comets”, “because of his use of strings he had – what you might have said a founding father of both Country and Rock and Roll”, said Townsend.

San Antonio Rose was the song that got Bob Wills on the map in 1941. It was the best selling record of 1941, and sold over 3 million copies. He went on to Hollywood to star in movies and became one of the most popular and highest paid band leaders of the time.

Doc, as many call him, is also partly to blame for Bob Wills day coming to existence at all.

It was when he first began researching Bob Wills in Turkey that the people of the town realized they had almost forgotten him. Dr. Townsend said, “Word traveled fast in that town” and so they said if this man is going to write a book- I didn’t say I was going to write a book, I was just doing research. I didn’t think there would ever be a book in it. I just wanted to see to it that somebody wrote it, So anyways they said lets have a Bob Wills Day- Lets raise money and build a monument to him, and so they called a meeting.” Five thousand people found Turkey, Texas that first year, it has been a proud annual event since.

The main events of Bob Wills Days are on the last weekend of April every year, this year April 27th and 28th. At the Bob Wills Center on Friday night with the surviving members of the Texas Playboys lead by Truitt Cunningham performs for a dance.

Then Saturday there is a parade in Turkey at 10 AM and a fiddle contest at noon.

The old football field on Saturday afternoon is the location of the free big dance with The Texas Playboys with thousands in attendance. Then the Jodi Nix dance that night at the Bob Wills Center.

That is not all though, The Church of Western Swing in Turkey is full of Western Swing April 20th through the 28th. Featuring the Baker Brothers Band- Bobby and Henry with many special guests each day, with many special guests each day including former Texas Playboys.

I am going to Bob Wills days this year and I am looking forward to the experience. Turkey, Texas is a small town with few accommodations and the majority of the festival goers will be staying in RVs.
There aren’t many hotels or motels in the Turkey, Texas area but it will make a great day trip as well. There will be thousands of Western Swing music fans there from around the world, maybe we’ll see ya’ll out there.