San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music of Bob Wills (Music in American Life)

Rating:
Summary: The Definative Biography of Bob Wills -
Review: Based upon the oral history and interviews with band members, family and Bob Wills himself. Covers early life and hardships, personal and professional life. His succuss and hardships are explained in footnoted and annotated fashion.

A very good insight to life in pre-war (pre-television) and post war America.

After reading, I hear the old recordings differently based upon the interview comments. I never heard the suitcase beat on the "Steel Guitar Rag" until I read the musicians description

Bob Wills life included the "first right to work" case argued before the US Supreme Court; he played at dances with Bonnie and Clyde in the audience; he owned a nightclub that was sold to Jack Ruby (assassin of Lee Harvey Oswald). Also tells the tale of how he wrote his most famous song "San Antonio Rose" by the men who were there when he did it!

Rating:
Summary: great
Review: this is the only book to get some of the information of bob and the western swing movement. written by noted scholar and from a scholary/musico historian viewpoint. must read.