Festival of Texas Fiddling

This astounding photo of the ostensible birthplace of Bob Wills near Kosse, Texas was taken by Norm Lanier. More photos and the story here: flickr.com/photos/normlanier…

Last I checked, it's Friday afternoon. And ----- last I checked ---- this is Texas. Which means ---- last I checked ---- that BOB WILLS IS STILL THE KING! 😎

Betty McCauley kindly submitted this wonderful photo of her grandfather, Francis Washington Cotton, who was born in 1879 and who was the son of early Texas pioneers. He made these four fiddles to help pay for the building of a church in Eastgate, Texas, 'round about 1935 or so.

96-year-old former Buffalo Soldier Elijah Cox playing his fiddle in San Angelo. 1938. He led a remarkable life that you can read about here: texasescapes.com/MurrayMontg…

A young Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, 1937. At this time, Bob and the boys were broadcasting noon shows over the 50,000-watt KVOO radio station from this stage. The legendary Leon McAuliffe on pedal steel at far right at about 18 years of age.

Traces of Texas reader Harold Harrison was kind enough to send in this outstanding photo of Bob Wills with his father. It was taken in the 1940s. There's a HUGE family resemblance between the two, and it became clearer as Bob aged. Thank you, Harold! LOVE IT!

The San Bernard River is 120 miles long. For more than 100 years, locals have reported hearing the wail of a violin from the river. The mystery has never been solved, though some say escaping gas is responsible. The phenomenon has caused the stream to be called the Singing River.

Two Texans, Bob Wills and Gene Autry, together playing a KCMC radio show in the Grim Hotel Ballroom in Texarkana, early 1940s. Standing to Gene's left (our right) is the great Tommy Duncan. I'd give up just about anything to have been there that night. What a lineup! @shinyribs

Kitty Marable poses with her fiddle in Brenham, Texas in 1913. This artistic photo was taken by the iconic Winkelmann's Studio in Brenham. The studio, founded by F.C. Winkelmann in 1894, operated for nearly 100 years, closing in 1991.

The Texas Quote of the Day: "All I set out to do was dance, drink beer, and listen to music." ----- James White, owner of the famed Broken Spoke dance hall in Austin. Almost 60 years later, I'd say Mr. White succeeded

Bob Wills (right) with his father, 1940. Classic shot! And yes, it don't matter who's in Austin ....

"A dance hall is where you dance with your wife. A honky-tonk is where you dance with somebody else's wife." ---- Patricia Sparks, director of Texas Dance Hall Preservation, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Texas dance halls. More here: texasdancehall.org/