I own Ham's Barber Shop in Turkey, Texas. Bob Wills was a barber there in 1927 and 1928. He would keep his fiddle behind the barber chair and play for the customers or when business was slow. When he barbered on Saturdays he would often sneak out the back door early enough to play for dances at local ranches. We are currently restoring the barber shop back to 1925 when it opened on Main street.
Nationally barbering was a musical profession in the 19th and 20th century. Musicians would hit a new town and find the musicians barber shop to find where to get work. Musicians would sell instruments in the barber shops, Bill Monroe bought his Loar in a Miami Barbershop. As someone who researcges black music, I am finding so many major black musical figures of the 19th and early 20th century were barbers or sons and daughters thereof.
@@writerrad Hello Tony - We just celebrated Bob Wills Day the last weekend in April in Turkey, TX. I built a band stand on the side of the 1948 Bob Wills Bus, and musicians played for three days straight. I appreciate the information you provided about traveling barbers/musicians - I'll have to do my homework and see what I can find out about that. Thanks for posting.
Great ! He is the king I hope to go to Bob wills day. I have been to the museum in turkey , and it is awe inspiring. I didnt know about this until i was 38
I remember my Dad had a photo of the "Bob Wills Texas playboys" greyhound bus with the entire band posing for the Photo im front of it. That image stays with me always.❤
Don't know if anyone was aware of it, but whenever Benny Goodman was booked near the Playboys, he would take off his glasses, don a trenchcoat and sit in the audience. Benny always said Bob's was his favorite band. I wonder now if somewhere they had an old Texas Swing jam session...
@@PrometheanRising i've read it in several prominent books on the big band era. After 50 years of reading, researching and collecting myself, i can't pinpoint them for you at the moment.
Great video! Can someone help with the other fiddle player/ singer, George (Klebin?) I can't find any mention of anyone named George who was with the Texas Playboys, he has a great voice.
Has to be 1950s. They're playing Fender guitars, which came out about 1948 or so. Tommy Duncan left the band around the same time and started his own group.
@@JimofTheLionKings no offence intended, he was clearly a great talent, but it’s kind of an unwritten rule that you don’t sing ove4 the musicians’ solos.
@@JimofTheLionKings I always thought that was the best part about his songs! He was clearly delighted at the riffing, and encouraged his band that way, so it seemed...
Billy Jack Wills bands recorded consistently first-rate music. It is a real tragedy that he left the music industry for the last part of his working life. Billy Jack owed much to Bob for his start, but some of his recordings equal or top Bob's own.
![Bob Wills' Original Texas Playboys - Today [Full Album]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uUPrVzNb8_g/mqdefault.jpg)
![Bob Wills' Original Texas Playboys - Today [Full Album]](/img/tr.png)
I own Ham's Barber Shop in Turkey, Texas. Bob Wills was a barber there in 1927 and 1928. He would keep his fiddle behind the barber chair and play for the customers or when business was slow. When he barbered on Saturdays he would often sneak out the back door early enough to play for dances at local ranches. We are currently restoring the barber shop back to 1925 when it opened on Main street.
Hey, thanks for the info! I’m in DFW and I’ll have to head out there sometime.
I just went through Turkey a month agoton the wat to Quanah, I noticed one of his old Bus sitting there....
@@bendavidson3198 I own the bus as well, and the restored 1928 Phillips 66 service station where the bus is parked.
Nationally barbering was a musical profession in the 19th and 20th century. Musicians would hit a new town and find the musicians barber shop to find where to get work. Musicians would sell instruments in the barber shops, Bill Monroe bought his Loar in a Miami Barbershop. As someone who researcges black music, I am finding so many major black musical figures of the 19th and early 20th century were barbers or sons and daughters thereof.
@@writerrad Hello Tony - We just celebrated Bob Wills Day the last weekend in April in Turkey, TX. I built a band stand on the side of the 1948 Bob Wills Bus, and musicians played for three days straight. I appreciate the information you provided about traveling barbers/musicians - I'll have to do my homework and see what I can find out about that. Thanks for posting.
The oldest this television show can be is 1962, because the guitar player is playing a Fender Jaguar, and those came out in '62.
..and that jazz bass has dual-concentric volume and tone pots , one for each pickup. That must have been a super high tech bass then.
Bob Wills is STILL the KING
Yup...just ask Mick and the boys...😊
It's always great to see Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys playing live- a really dynamic band and a major part of modern music's history.
Greatest Western Band ever hands down!!!
Great ! He is the king I hope to go to Bob wills day. I have been to the museum in turkey , and it is awe inspiring. I didnt know about this until i was 38
The great Bob Wills and his musicians.
I remember my Dad had a photo of the "Bob Wills Texas playboys" greyhound bus with the entire band posing for the Photo im front of it. That image stays with me always.❤
Send me back in time and give me 5 minutes at a Bob Wills show and I would die a happy man.
This band is exceptional
Don't know if anyone was aware of it, but whenever Benny Goodman was booked near the Playboys, he would take off his glasses, don a trenchcoat and sit in the audience. Benny always said Bob's was his favorite band. I wonder now if somewhere they had an old Texas Swing jam session...
Interesting, can you point to a source for that?
@@PrometheanRising i've read it in several prominent books on the big band era. After 50 years of reading, researching and collecting myself, i can't pinpoint them for you at the moment.
@timothymorgereth1438 cool. If you stumble across it, and think of it, feel free to update us later.
Indeed i will. I have some books handy not packed away and intend to start skimming through them.
@@timothymorgereth1438 You are a scholar and a gentleman, sir.
Never saw a guy sing without opening his mouth. Fascinating.
Only the king has a stogie in his mouth whilst playing fiddle. Ahhhaaa.......
they tried to kick him off the stage at the opry in 1945 when he lit his stogie on stage and when they set up the drum kit
Oh, sweet Jesus........mercy on me.
heartfelt thanks for this lovely post.
My Dad loved these guys.
That's the only footage staring Billy Jack Wills (voc, Rock-A-Bye Baby Blues). He wrote the lyrics to "Faded Love".
To who still love music
Last time I saw Bob Wills and some of the Texas Playboys was at Wills Point back in the early 1950s. I was just a kid butI loved that music. Still do.
This is great but I'm a Tommy Duncan fan.
Be sure and catch the world's only Tommy Duncan impersonator, Billy Mata.
Think,It's about 10-12 people in the band.How much Bob charched for a night back then?????.
Great dance band!
Thanks so much!
Great video! Can someone help with the other fiddle player/ singer, George (Klebin?) I can't find any mention of anyone named George who was with the Texas Playboys, he has a great voice.
i think its tommy duncan
George Clayborn
Thanks y’all
They were a huge band at least 10 here. How did they all get paid?
Great to see Billy Gray again....
Plainview Texas. Bob still the kang.
Does anyone know what year this was filmed? I'm guessing around 1958
The audio track does not do justice for this great Western Swing band. Interesting to see the band made it on TV tho. What year was this TV broadcast?
Early 50s
Was never no ever another band like the great Bob Wills and the Texas play boys
Wheres Tommy?! What year is this?..
Has to be 1950s. They're playing Fender guitars, which came out about 1948 or so. Tommy Duncan left the band around the same time and started his own group.
I can’t find the insturmental anywhere!! Anyone know the name? It’s at 5:00!!
The song at 5:00 is a fine version of the traditional Cripple Creek but I don't know if Bob Wills recorded and released it
@@jeremiahbain4254 do you know of any videos or versions that I can find related to that one? Aka one that sounds similar?
@@thehunter2575 I will do that when my internet is working better
The Hunter not sure if you were thinking bluegrass but here's Flatt and Scruggs instrumental version: g.co/kgs/4QJNDp
@@thehunter2575 a solo fiddle instrumental version th-cam.com/video/5dCSdfZFTHE/w-d-xo.html
Who is on Pedal-Steel?
Which one? There are two steel players here. That's brother Gene Crownover stage left and Maurice Anderson on the rightl.
@@greghardy8174👍
Complete dissociation from the melody on those steel guitar breaks. Bebob as can be.
ハヤマワシだろ
Sir one time i shot a longbow droped a target
Bob wills was a badass. Your not.
I'm betting you ain't either.
Confederate.
Bet he was a bugger to work for: I would have told him not to make those stupid noises over my solos.
@@JimofTheLionKings no offence intended, he was clearly a great talent, but it’s kind of an unwritten rule that you don’t sing ove4 the musicians’ solos.
@@JimofTheLionKings I always thought that was the best part about his songs! He was clearly delighted at the riffing, and encouraged his band that way, so it seemed...
Generally people loved playing for Bob. I’m sure they appreciated him calling their names out at shows, on the radio, and on recordings for all time.
@@JimofTheLionKings Remember the song "What makes Bob Holler" ? Would not be Bob id he did not Holler....
The audience didn't tell him not to make those noises. Did they?
That's the only footage staring Billy Jack Wills (voc, Rock-A-Bye Baby Blues). He wrote the lyrics to "Faded Love".
Billy Jack Wills bands recorded consistently first-rate music. It is a real tragedy that he left the music industry for the last part of his working life. Billy Jack owed much to Bob for his start, but some of his recordings equal or top Bob's own.