For today's edition of Country Catalyst, the GMC Special Feature that tries to bring new fans into country music, we have a Western Swing classic from the king, Bob Wills. In fact, "Take Me Back to Tulsa" became such a popular hit for Wills and his Texas Playboys in 1941 that his biggest rival, Spade … Continue reading Country Catalyst – A Western Swing Classic
Tag: Spade Cooley
Hank Penny Wore A Lot Of Different Hats
For much of his career, Hank Penny was a Western Swing performer in the style of Bob Wills and Spade Cooley -- in fact, he worked with Cooley for a while -- but Herbert Clayton Penny was a lot of other things too. During a long career that began in the Depression era and lasted … Continue reading Hank Penny Wore A Lot Of Different Hats
The One And Only Tex Williams
Country music has always been replete with guys named 'Tex', and I'm not even going to begin to try to list them. (But if you're any kind of fan I bet you've already thought of a few). You can also find quite a few performers whose last name was Williams, but as near as I … Continue reading The One And Only Tex Williams
Shame On You, Spade Cooley
Western Swing is a type of country music that's been around for years, but is still popular with many (including me). A combination of big band swing and traditional country music, in its heyday it usually featured large groups of musicians with everything from fiddles to harps. It was fast and flashy, brimming with showmanship … Continue reading Shame On You, Spade Cooley
Geezer Music Club 