How much is Bob Wills worth?
| Net Worth: | $1 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Musician |
| Date of Birth: | March 6, 1905 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 1.84 m |
About Bob Wills
James Robert “Bob” Wills, an American Western swing pianist, songwriter, and bandleader, was born on March 6, 1905. His estimated net worth is $1 million. Prior to finally forming the Texas Playboys in 1934, Wills had previously created a number of bands and performed on radio stations throughout the South and West. In 1999, Wills and the Texas Playboys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Key details
- Western swing, a country genre that incorporated big band jazz and Western dance music, gained popularity with the aid of Bob Wills. He gained the moniker “The King of Western Swing” as a result.
- By introducing brass instruments and drums to the Grand Ole Opry, the singer broke through barriers.
- If Wills enjoyed a song, he would shout “A-ha!” during it.
- Texas’s Kosse is where James Robert Wills was born. The son of the accomplished fiddler Bob Wills began playing the instrument at a young age. Before he turned adolescent, he started playing at neighborhood dances and was exposed to blues and jazz music through the black neighborhood.
Wills left home at the age of 17 and began working odd jobs all throughout Texas. He worked as a barber, pastor, field worker, and insurance salesman among other things. Of course, the Renaissance man was also a musician. In November 1929, he entered a recording studio for the first time, albeit the sessions didn’t result in a record.
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Wills joined the Aladdin Ladies in 1930. The quartet, which included Wills, Milton Brown, Derwood Brown, and Herman Arnspiger on guitars, gave a performance on Fort Worth’s WBAP radio station. Where did the strange name originate? It’s simple: the Aladdin Lamp Company supported them. The country group became the Light Crust Doughboys after Burrus Mill’s Light Crust Flour took over corporate sponsoring. This was country music back when border radio was popular.
His Texas Playboys’ Formation
When the Doughboys broke up in 1932, Wills started the band that would become eternally known as the Playboys. One of the original members was Tommy Duncan, who had previously filled in as the Doughboys’ interim vocalist. Others adopted. The Texas Playboys established a solid foundation in Oklahoma City by the middle of the ’30s and had honed their rousing Western swing sound. They frequently appeared on KVOO, where they attracted a lot of national recognition. Up to the start of World War II, Wills and the band gave ferocious performances. The Playboys once included 16 members.
Years Later
After having a heart attack in 1962, Wills started performing solo. In addition, he started to get a lot of recognition for his work in country music. In 1968, he was admitted to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The following year, the Texas State Legislature recognized him, and the day following the event, he had a significant stroke.
Wills actually made one last record, The Last Time, which was released in 1973. He reconnected with numerous bandmates. Bob Wills was worth $1 million when he passed away in 1975. In 1975, pneumonia claimed Wills’ life.
Where to Begin
In his prime, Bob Wills produced innumerable albums. Several sources place it higher than 100. Numerous songs are repeated in various renditions. So it’s challenging to identify a definite best-of. However, all of these collections serve as ideal starting points. However, none of them will be exhaustive.
- The Essential Bob Wills (1935-1947) (Columbia Records, 1992)
Key Members of Bob Wills’s Texas Playboys
- Tommy Duncan (vocals)
- Leon McAuliffe (steel guitar)
- Eldon Shamblin (arranger, electric guitar)
