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Of all the western swing bands in the Fort Worth-Dallas area, the one that has enjoyed the greatest and longest success is the Light Crust Doughboys. Its history covers more than half a century of American music. In 1929 Bob Wills moved from West Texas to Fort Worth and formed the Wills Fiddle Band, a rather unimposing aggregation made up of Wills as fiddler and Herman Arnspiger as guitarist.
In 1930, Milton Brown joined the band as vocalist, and in 1931, the Wills Fiddle Band -- Wills, Arnspiger, and Brown -- became the Light Crust Doughboys. With help from friends and fans in Fort Worth, Wills persuaded Burrus Mill and Elevator Company to sponsor the band on a radio show by advertising the mill's Light Crust Flour.
After two weeks of broadcasts, W. Lee O'Daniel, President of Burrus Mill, canceled the show because he did not like "their hillbilly music." The Light Crust Doughboys were literally "brought back by popular demand" when thousands of fans and housewives, who used Light Crust Flour, demanded that Burrus Mill sponsor their radio show. People listened at noon each day for a couple of licks on Bob Wills' fiddle and Truett Kimsey's enthusiastic introduction: "The Light Crust Doughboys are on the air." Then the Doughboys sang their theme song which began:
Listen everybody,
from near and far
if you wanta know
who we are. We're the
Light Crust Doughboys
from Burrus Mill.
The Light Crust Doughboys are On the Air!
Congratulations to the Doughboys on their Grammy (Two Consecutive), Dove and INSP Award Nominations!The 43rd Annual GRAMMY Nominees for
Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album for a solo, duo or group vocal performance were:
The Great Gospel Hit Parade: From Memphis To Nashville To Texas
James Blackwood, The Jordanaires & The Light Crust Doughboys[Art Greenhaw Records]
The Cathedrals A Farewell Celebration
The Cathedrals
[Spring House Music] Just Over In Heaven
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
[Sugar Hill Records]Soldier Of The Cross
Ricky Skaggs And Kentucky Thunder ***WINNER OF 43rd GRAMMY***
[Skaggs Family Records]Old Ways & Old Paths
Paul Williams And The Victory Trio
[Rebel Records]
