Any fan of swing knows who they are; the Texas Playboys, the band of the legendary Bob Wills credited with the fiddling style and dance rhythm of Western Swing.
Not as many know the name Leon Rausch…who took the title “Voice of the Texas Playboys” on the passing of Bob Wills in 1975. Now he too has passed, at the age of 91.But, the music lives on.
Rausch (Leon’s)leadership of the band helped keep the legacy of Western Swing, as the Texas Playboys continued to record albums and perform until their last official show in Ft Worth in 1986.
Along that route, there was an appearance on Austin City Limits, and the likes of Willie and Merle often performed with the band, as did “Asleep at the Wheel,” which picked up the passed torch of Western swing and still keeps it, with a long succession of state champion fiddlers in the legacy of The Texas Playboys.