Archives Collection

WILLS, BOB                                         97-055
MANUSCRIPTS and RECORDINGS
 

Physical Description:

1 piece of sheet music

1 photograph (two copies)

27 16" radio transcription discs

.1 l.f. manuscript materials, incl. typed radio scripts, lease contracts, publicity brochure, blank stationery, poster, publicity photo.
 

Dates:

1944-November 1948
 

Provenance:

Donated to the Center for Popular Music in June 1998 by Anita Anderson, owner of the Tiffany Transcriptions and of remaining Tiffany Music Co. materials.
 

Biographical sketch:

Bob Wills, born 6 March 1905, Limestone County, Texas, began as a child playing mandolin and fiddle to accompany his father's music. They performed shows, radio programs, and dances. In 1934 Wills formed the Texas Playboys and achieved wide popularity in the late 1930s and 1940s, outselling some major recording artists and appearing in a number of movies.
 

Scope and content:

Twenty seven (27) 16" transcription discs of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Wills made these transcription recordings in 1946 and 1947 for lease to various radio stations. They were accompanied by promotional materials, including the actual scripts to be read by the station announcer. Twelve (12) groups of weekly radio broadcast scripts. Script dates include August 9-14, 16-21, 23-28, August 30-September 4, September 6-11, September 27-October 2, October 4-9, 11-16, 18-23, November 1-6, 8-13, 15-20, 1948. Also two copies each of blank stationery, envelopes, lease contracts, log sheets, invoices, publicity brochures. One publicity photograph of the whole band for the reissues on the Kaleidoscope label, and a poster of the Bob Wills logo.
 

Location:

The transcription discs are among the sound recordings with other 16" discs. The printed materials are housed in the manuscripts collections by accession number. One copy of the photograph is filed in the manuscripts; the other in the iconographic biographical file.
 

Related Materials:

Recordings of many of the Tiffany transcriptions are on the Kaleidoscope label in the Center's holdings.