The history of the Grammy Award-winning Light Crust Doughboys covers more than seventy years of American music. In 1929, Texas fiddler Bob Wills formed the "Wills Fiddle Band." By 1931, Wills, along with Milton Brown on vocals and Herman Arnspiger on guitar, landed a morning radio show sponsored by the makers of Light Crust Flour. The general manager of the flour company and soon-to-be announcer of the band was W. Lee "Pappy" O' Daniel. Although Pappy went on to become Governor of Texas, United States Senator from Texas and the only person to ever defeat Lyndon B. Johnson in any political race, when asked what he was most famous for, he replied, "The Light Crust Doughboys!"

The original Light Crust Doughboys are credited with the creation of the western swing style of music, which blends a wide range of musical repertoire including country, blues, jazz, pop, gospel and more. By the 1940s, The Light Crust Doughboys' Show was broadcast on more than 170 radio stations throughout the south and southwest. The famous opening words, "The Light Crust Doughboys are on the air!", are still used to this day to open all concerts by the The Light Crust Doughboys. Now based out of Mesquite, the band today enjoys a faithful worldwide following that spans four generations of music lovers.

The Light Crust Doughboys are considered the longest-running country and western band in the world and one of the top historical bands of all time. To quote The Dallas Morning News, "The Light Crust Doughboys are to western swing what Bill Monroe is to bluegrass. When the ultimate western swing and Texas music book is written, The Light Crust Doughboys will be in Chapter 1, Page 1."

Information from the band's site

Musicians

• Art Greenhaw: bass, lead vocals, vocals
• Maurice "Reece" Anderson: steel guitar
• Kevin Bailey: guitar
• Jim Baker: violin
• Dale Cook: drums
• Jerry Elliott: guitar
• John Walden: violin

Influences

Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Marvin "Smokey" Montgomery

Favorited by these users:

Beth_McCabe, Mark Lewis, Matt Tolentino, Rollini505, Suporttxmusic, edfoo2000, ibjoe, jeff34, narrow, wendydey

Something missing?

If you're a fan or member of this band, it's likely you know more about this than we do. Send us an email and tell us what we missed.

This is not MySpace! (And that's a good thing.) The only way you can directly post content to your page is in the comments. The best way to make additions, corrections, add mp3s or add photos is to send us an email.

---

---