Thursday 10 September 2020

Luke Wills born 10 September 1920


Luke Wills (10 September 1920 - 21 October 2000) was a Western swing bass player, younger brother of Bob Wills.

Luther J."Luke" Wills was the younger brother of Bob Wills and the seventh of the Wills’ family children. He was rated so differently from the rest of the family that it was a family joke that his mother had picked up the wrong baby, after one of the many social dances held in the area.

Like Johnnie Lee, Luke learned to play tenor banjo and made his musical debut in 1937 when he was 17, doing his first show with Bob's band in Cain's Academy in Tulsa. Luke even signed his first Social Security card in the office at Cain's. Luke then continued his career, now as a bass player in the second Wills’ band, led by elder brother Johnnie Lee Wills, called the Rhythmaires. In the 
early 1940's, when Bob left for Hollywood to make western movies, he took Luke and several other Texas Playboys with him. Together, they made several theatrical shorts and features while Johnnie Lee took over the Cain's broadcasts and dances.

In 1943, he joined the US Navy during WW II. After service, he led Bob's second band and covered the dance circuit of northern and central California, appearing first as Luke Wills And the Texas Playboys Number 2 but to avoid confusion this soon became Luke Wills’ Rhythm Busters. He recorded for King and RCA-Victor in the late 1940's, adopting a similar style of comments and interjections as Bob though not in a high pitched voice.



                              

In 1948, the Rhythm Busters were disbanded and he worked with Bob until 1950, when he reformed his own band and took over in Oklahoma City for a standing job at the Trianon Ballroom, when Bob returned to Texas to his new dancehall. 

The Wills Brothers in the early 1950's (l-r)
Luke Wills, Johnnie Wills, Bob Wills, and Billy Jack Wills

He rejoined Bob in 1952 and played and sang with the Playboys, often fronting the band in Bob's absence, until they disbanded in 1964. He then worked outside of the music industry in Las Vegas, as among other things, as a casino security guard.

Some of Luke's better-known vocals during his career include "Little Star Of Heaven" "Old Shep" and "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone."  In 1971, he played bass on the Bob Wills’ tribute recordings made at Merle Haggard's home in Bakersfield and later made some appearances at Playboy Reunion Shows but did not appear on the 1973 recording session in Dallas. Although contributing in no small way to his eldest brother's legend, he was not elected to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. In the late '70s, he left the music business and retired to Las Vegas where he was a resident for 35 years.

In 1988, Bear Family Records of Germany released a collection of his RCA Victor recordings entitled "High Voltage Gal." In the 1990's, despite a stroke that rendered him unable to play bass, he was a regular member of the Bob Wills tribute bands around the country.

Luther J. Wills was a musician in the entertainment industry, a member of American Legion Post 8, Screen Actors Guild and Western Swing Music Association. Luke and his wife Dorothy were married in March 1939 in Tulsa, and had two sons and one daughter, 11 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

Luther J. "Luke" Wills, 80, died on Oct. 21, 2000 in Las Vegas following a massive stroke. Luke was the last surviving Wills brother. He is buried at Palm Valley View Memorial Park in Las Vegas, NV.   (Edited by kaitsuj @ last fm)

5 comments:

boppinbob said...

For"Luke Wills' Rhythm Busters ‎– High Voltage Gal
Bear Family Records ‎– BFX 15333 (1988)" go here:

https://mega.nz/file/dRoA2IKa#_l11adIX9Jm3rQJnP2tZcp95hMjLIiK3EvAfJ3_kKkY

1. Shut Up And Drink Your Beer
2. Never Turn Your Back To A Woman
3. Louisiana Blues
4. Bob Wills Two-Step
5. Corn Fed Arkansas Gal
6. Is It True What They Say
7. (Gotta Get To) Oklahoma City
8. Long Train Blues
9. I'm A Married Man
10. Uncle Tom Wills Schottische
11. High Voltage Gal (vocal - Tommy Doss)
12. The Texas Special
13. Oklahoma Blues
14. Si, Si Senorita
15. Cain's Stomp
16. Honky Tonkin' Sal
17. A Nickel In The Jukebox
18. A Woman Was The Cause Of It All
19. The Fly In The Ointment
20. High Voltage Gal (vocal Jonny Tyler)

----------------------------------------------------
For "Luke Wills – Chronological Classics 1947" go here:

https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/6bdai1

1. Luke Wills - Four or Five Times (2:45)
2. Luke Wills - Bring It on Down to My House (2:53)
3. Luke Wills - Sweet Moments (2:54)
4. Luke Wills - Those Gone and Left Me Blues (2:41)
5. Luke Wills - Shut Up and Drink Your Beer (2:46)
6. Luke Wills - Long Train Blues (2:30)
7. Luke Wills - High Voltage Gal (tk 1) (2:53)
8. Luke Wills - (Gotta Get to) Oklahoma City (2:36)
9. Luke Wills - Bob Wills Two-Step (2:10)
10. Luke Wills - Uncle Tom Wills Schottische (2:46)
11. Luke Wills - Cain's Stomp (2:13)
12. Luke Wills - Louisiana Blues (2:35)
13. Luke Wills - High Voltage Gal (2:46)
14. Luke Wills - A Nickle in the Jukebox (2:17)
15. Luke Wills - Oklahoma Blues (2:40)
16. Luke Wills - A Woman Was the Cause of It All (2:54)
17. Luke Wills - Never Turn Your Back to a Woman (2:46)
18. Luke Wills - I'm a Married Man (2:24)
19. Luke Wills - Corn Fed Arkansas Gal (2:30)
20. Luke Wills - Is It True What They Say (2:40)
21. Luke Wills - The Texas Special (2:37)
22. Luke Wills - Si, Si Senorita (2:50)
23. Luke Wills - Honky Tonkin' Sal (2:31)
24. Luke Wills - The Fly in My Ointment (2:18)

A very big thanks to “miw” for active links.

Bob Mac said...

Many thanks for these 2 albums.

RiCK SAUNDERS said...

Howdy, Bob-
Any chance of a re-up on this one?
Luke Wills – Chronological Classics 1947

Thanks!
-Rick

boppinbob said...

Hello Rick, Sorry for the delay, so much going on over Christmas. Here's the new link for 1947.

https://krakenfiles.com/view/Yw1GtV8irZ/file.html

RiCK SAUNDERS said...

A million thanks, Bob!

-Rick