Billy Jack Wills (February 26, 1926 – March 2, 1991) was perhaps one of the most underrated Western swing bandleaders whose Western Swing Band broke new ground for the genre in the early '50s.
Born in Memphis, Hall County, TX, Billy Jack was exposed at an
early age to the music of his famous brother Bob, as well as his father,
champion fiddler John Wills. After beginning his professional career in brother
Johnnie Lee Wills' Tulsa band in the early '40s, Billy Jack went to California
to work as a bassist and drummer for the Texas Playboys. In that group, he
played a significant role both as a vocalist and songwriter, lending his bluesy
voice to "Cadillac in Model A" and providing lyrics to the massive
hit "Faded Love." |
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.
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After six years as a member of the Texas Playboys, Billy Jack got his chance as a leader when Bob moved his base of operations from the Wills Point Ballroom in Sacramento to Oklahoma City. Tired of touring, mandolinist Tiny Moore stayed behind to manage Wills Point.
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Evelyn McKinney & Billy Jack Wills
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The band truly came into being, however, after the start of
the Korean War. Looking to replace the drafted Varner, Wills hired a local
teenager named Vance Terry, a disciple of Noel Boggs whose crisp, driving style
added the final element to the group's adventurous sound.
Between 1950 and
1954, the group enjoyed a strong Northwest following, touring and building up
an eclectic repertoire of radio transcriptions. They covered many of the
popular black hits of the time, including Ruth Brown's "Teardrops From My
Eyes" and Larry Darnell's "For You, My Love."
In 1953, the group cut a version of Roy Brown's "There's Good Rocking Tonight"; later that year, they turned in a rollicking arrangement of Bill Haley's first hit, "Crazy, Man, Crazy."
In 1953, the group cut a version of Roy Brown's "There's Good Rocking Tonight"; later that year, they turned in a rollicking arrangement of Bill Haley's first hit, "Crazy, Man, Crazy."
The group's success, however, was short-lived. In 1954, Bob
Wills disbanded the Texas Playboys and returned to Sacramento to perform with
Billy Jack. The idea was to increase business at Wills Point, but the results
were disastrous. Bob quickly took charge of the group and against the wishes of
most involved, immediately set off on tour, at which point Tiny Moore quit to
host a children's television show.
Out on the road, energies were soon sapped. Under Wills'
control, the boldness that had characterized the band's radio broadcasts began
to fold, channeled into what was by now the rather stale sound of the Texas
Playboys. That and the emerging television craze effectively ended the group.
Vance Terry quit to enroll in college; he later joined Jimmie Rivers and the
Cherokees. Tiny Moore went on to play with Merle Haggard & the Strangers.
Billy Jack struggled on without success and played on various radio broadcasts
before retiring from music in 1960. He died on March 2, 1991 in Oklahoma, aged
65. 
Billy Jack Wills should be considered much more than a
footnote in the music careers of his older brothers. He was an important artist
in his own right who played Western swing with the complexity of jazz, the
emotion of blues, and the aggression of rock ‘n’ roll.
(Compiled mainly from AllMusic bio by Jim Smith.)
