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"THE
LIGHT CRUST DOUGHBOYS
ARE ON THE AIR"
by Archie P. McDonald, PhD |
|
The
Light Crust Doughboys became the most famous, and most successful, western swing
group in Texas in the 1930s, and a derivative of the group still performs today,
although they are no longer "on the air."
The original Doughboys followed
a rough road to success. Bob Wills moved to Fort Worth and organized the
Wills Fiddle Band in 1929. Despite that auspicious name, the "band" was
just Wills playing fiddle while Herman Arnsparger accompanied him on guitar
until Milton Brown joined the band as a vocalist the next year.
Wills talked W. Lee O'Daniel, president of Burrus Mill and Elevator
Company, makers of Light Crust Flour in Fort Worth, to sponsor his
band on a local radio show. The groupšs name was changed to Light Crust Doughboys
because Burrus wanted to sell more flour. Shows opened with, "The Light Crust
Doughboys are on the air!" followed by their theme "Listen everybody, from near
and far, if you wanta know who we are. Wešre the Light Crust Doughboys from Burrus
Mill." OšDaniel fired the band two week later, then had to hire them back when
he found out how much the listening public liked the show. That began an uneasy
association between O'Daniel and Wills, whom he eventually did fire completely,
and the remaining Doughboys, until O'Daniel left the company in 1935.
O'Daniel joined the program for a time as master of ceremonies. He often read
poetry and homilies and attracted a sufficiently wide following himself to be
elected governor in 1938.
Following a final firing from the group by
O'Daniel, Wills moved to Oklahoma and then to Waco and organized a new band called
the Texas Playboys, which he continued to lead until his retirement. Eventually
Wills was recognized as the "father" of the musical genre known as "western swing."
When O'Daniel left Burrus and the Doughboys, he developed the Hillbilly
Flour Company and hired a new band called the Hillbilly Boys. Meanwhile,
Burrus continued to sponsor the Light Crust Doughboys on a statewide radio network
each day at noon. The band members changed frequently, but the music of the fiddle
remained their specialty.
A modern version of the Light Crust Doughboys
continues to perform, enabling youngsters to hear an old sound and oldsters to
remember to pass the biscuits to Pappy. |
All
Things Historical
>
January
25, 2004 column
A syndicated column in over 40 East Texas newspapers
Published
with permission
This column is provided as a public service by the East Texas
Historical Association. Archie P. McDonald is director of the Association and
author of more than 20 books on Texas. |
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