Bob Wills was one of the earliest stars of country music in Texas just as radio became popular. Wills was one of the pioneers of western swing and inspired generations of country music artists.

But country music definitely loves him. In 1974 Waylon Jennings recorded a twangy tribute song, "Bob Wills is Still the King," which sums up the sentiment nicely: "I grew up on music that we ...

Bob Wills was from Texas, born into a family with generations of skilled fiddle players. He was also influenced by the music his African-American friends sang in the cotton fields and later by ...