Blog search

Al Clauser and His Oklahoma Outlaws and Patti Page

Another blog article started long ago, July 26, 2021, but never quite finished, until now. In 1982, Oklahoma was celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Diamond Jubilee of statehood, and it was one of the focuses (along with Korea) of the Smithsonian Institution's 1982 Festival of American Folklife. The program book...

Posted by Michael Bates on December 3, 2023 9:58 AM

Let's call it Wills Park

The Wills boys, from left to right, youngest to oldest: Brothers Billy Jack Wills, Luther J. "Luke" Wills, Johnnie Lee Wills, and Bob Wills, and their father John Tompkins "Uncle John" Wills. From BobWills.com The George Kaiser Family Foundation is looking for public input on the name of the...

Posted by Michael Bates on March 16, 2012 10:10 PM

"A Salute to Curly Lewis: Tulsa Western Swing Reunion" Thursday, July 21, 2011

This Thursday night, July 21, 2011, the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame will host a Tulsa western swing reunion to pay tribute to fiddler and vocalist Julian "Curly" Lewis, who performed for many years with Johnnie Lee Wills and His Boys, Leon McAuliffe's Cimarron Boys, and Hank Thompson's Brazos Valley...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 19, 2011 12:15 AM

Original Texas Playboys final concert, 1986

James Shamblin, nephew of legendary guitarist Eldon Shamblin, has digitized and uploaded the final concert of Bob Wills' Original Texas Playboys, November 16, 1986, at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. I've organized all 13 parts into a YouTube playlist, so you can watch the entire 90...

Posted by Michael Bates on February 21, 2011 8:24 PM

Bob Wills Radio podcast

bobwills.com, the official Bob Wills website, has launched a podcast called Bob Wills Radio, hosted by Jim Goff. Each episode features music and excerpts from interviews with members of the Texas Playboys. New episodes will go up each Monday at noon. The inaugural edition features a 1983 interview with steel...

Posted by Michael Bates on July 9, 2009 7:32 PM

New Leon McAuliffe CD: <em>Tulsa, Straight Ahead</em>

I learned today that later this month Bear Family Records is about to issue a new CD compilation of music by Leon McAuliffe and His Cimarron Boys, titled Tulsa, Straight Ahead. McAuliffe was the first steel guitarist for Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys; after a stint as a flight...

Posted by Michael Bates on April 9, 2009 5:23 PM

Lullabyes of the West

My kids listen to CDs at night, usually one CD on infinite repeat, and over and over again for several weeks. Over the Christmas holidays they listened to piano instrumental versions of carols. I introduced them to the soundtrack of A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. We...

Posted by Michael Bates on February 19, 2009 9:40 PM

Tulsa Straight Ahead

You may have noticed an addition to the header. There's a subtitle -- "Tulsa straight ahead" -- and next to it, on the home page, is a little button. Press the button, and you'll hear Leon McAuliffe and His Cimarron Boys perform a tune of that title, written by one...

Posted by Michael Bates on June 2, 2008 1:53 AM

Eldon Shamblin sings

Via Tyson Wynn, a wonderful clip of legendary western swing guitarist Eldon Shamblin playing and singing "Changes Made," following a bit of banter with steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe. This appears to be from a performance by The Original Texas Playboys (the drumset you'll see in the background is on display...

Posted by Michael Bates on September 27, 2007 12:33 PM