On this day (May 13) in 1975, Bob Wills died of pneumonia in Fort Worth, Texas, at the age of 70. He is widely considered the King of Western Swing and one of the genre’s founders. Wills and his band, the Texas Playboys, blended jazz, blues, traditional fiddle tunes, Mexican folk music, and big band swing into a sound that has made millions of people dance. Moreover, he and his music were major influences on Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, and many early rock and roll artists.
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Wills grew up surrounded by music. His father was a champion fiddle player who taught him old-time fiddle tunes. Additionally, the area was famous for Black jazz and blues musicians like Scott Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Victoria Spivey. He learned to play these styles from his Black neighbors and migrant workers…