On this day (September 2) in 1912, Johnnie Lee Wills was born in Hall County, Texas. He was the younger brother of Bob Wills, widely regarded as the King of Western Swing. The elder Wills and his band, the Texas Playboys, helped popularize western swing music and heavily influenced the country music scene in California, which led to the Bakersfield Sound of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Johnnie played banjo in the original Texas Playboys. Later, he formed a successful band called All His Boys.
Wills’ music career started with his family. Initially, he played guitar for his father, who regularly entered fiddle competitions and played ranch dances across West Texas. In the early 1930s, his older brother was playing in the Light Crust Doughboys. Eventually, Bob landed Johnnie a spot in the band. In 1933, when he left the band to form the Texas Playboys, he brought his younger brother with him to play the tenor banjo.
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According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, the Texas Playboys moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1934. There, they performed on KVOO radio. They also started playing weekly dances at Cain’s Ballroom. This greatly boosted the band’s popularity. At the same time, their sound continued to evolve, and new musicians continued joining the lineup. Soon, the band had more gigs than they could play. So, Bob convinced Johnnie to start a band of his own.
Johnnie Lee Wills and All His Bands
Johnnie Lee Wills reluctantly left the Texas Playboys and formed the Rhythmaires. However, the band failed to gain a following. In 1940, he and his father moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and formed another band. They didn’t find success there, either. Eventually, Wills returned to Tulsa.
After heading back to Tulsa, he formed a new band. Soon, Johnnie Lee Wills and All His Boys started to gain a following. In 1942, when the Texas Playboys moved to California, the new band took their place on KVOO, where they performed until the late 1950s. They also began playing at Cain’s Ballroom twice a week.
Over the years, Johnnie Lee Wills and All His Boys recorded several singles for Decca and Bullet Records. They cut songs like the influential “Rag Mop,” co-penned by Wills. They were also the first group to record the classic Easter song “Peter Cotton Tail.”
In 1982, Wills and his band represented Oklahoma at the Smithsonian Institution of American Folklife. They performed for massive crowds that gathered in Washington, D.C., to hear masters of roots music play. He died two years later of heart failure at the age of 72.
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