Johnnie Lee Wills (1912-1984) played banjo in early bands with his brother Bob. Johnnie Lee continued the Wills’ family tradition by playing fiddle and leading his band "Johnnie Lee Wills and All the Boys." He owned and operated the "Johnnie Lee Wills Western Store" for twenty-five years. He also produced the Johnnie Lee Wills Tulsa Stampede Rodeo, which ran for forty-six consecutive years.
Luke Wills (1920-2000) was a talented musician. He joined Bob’s band in 1938. He played banjo until he got the chance to learn bass, which he played throughout his career. Luke was a regular at the Bob Wills’ Annual Birthday Bash held at Cain’s Ballroom.
Billy Jack Wills (1926-1991) was the youngest of the brothers, but no less talented. He played drums in many of Bob’s bands. Billy was noted for his sense of humor. He then formed his own band, "Billy Jack Wills and his Western Swing Band," which played "jump blues," the forerunner of R&B and rock 'n roll.
Bob Wills (1905-1975) will forever be associated with western swing. Although he did not invent the genre, he did popularize it. He learned to play mandolin, guitar, and fiddle from his father and grandfather.
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys traveled from radio station to radio station. Then, they took a job at KVOO in Tulsa and decided to settle for a while. Many say that Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys refined their sound in Tulsa. They added a steel guitarist, pianist, drummer, and a horn section. The public liked the sound. Soon, they were the most popular band in Oklahoma and Texas. They began releasing singles like "Steel Guitar Rag," which quickly became a standard for steel guitar, and "Right or Wrong."
Toward the end of the 1930's, big bands were in. Wills wanted a big band that was capable of playing more complex arrangements inspired by jazz and fused with country. He formed an 18-piece band ready to wow the public with their new sound. It worked. The band played venues from Tulsa all the way to the west coast, selling out and breaking attendance records the whole way. The band’s first national hit, "New San Antonio Rose," made it to No. 11 on the charts in 1940. That sparked more recordings in 1941 and 1942. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys continued to perform. They quickly became one of the most popular bands in the country.