On this day (September 29) in 1910, William Lemuel “Bill” Boyd was born on a farm near the small town of Ladonia in Fannin County, Texas. On par with his contemporary Bob Wills, Boyd was an early pioneer of Western swing music, recording more than 225 songs with his band, the Cowboy Ramblers, from 1934 through 1951. In 1935, the band scored a major hit with their recording of “Under the Double Eagle”, an 1893 march composed by Josef Wagner.
Bill Boyd died on December 7, 1977, at age 67 in Dallas, Texas. Today, we’re reflecting on his career in honor of what would have been his 119th birthday.
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Bill Boyd Drew From His Own Cowboy Experiences
Along with his 12 siblings, Bill Boyd grew up as a working cowboy. Between chores, he absorbed the traditional songs from the impromptu campfire jam sessions of the ranch hands — as well as from his parents, both of whom loved to sing.
Trying to weather the Great Depression, Boyd and younger brother Jim took on a variety of odd jobs, with Bill joining the Alexanders Daybreakers trio performing at early-morning radio shows.
In 1926, Bill and Jim made their debut on a local radio station in Greenville, Texas.
The Cowboy Ramblers
By the time the family moved to Dallas in 1929, Bill Boyd knew he wanted to pursue a career in music.
In 1932, he recorded with the “Father of Country Music” himself, Jimmie Rodgers. That same year, Boyd formed the earliest incarnation of his Western swing band, the Cowboy Ramblers.
Consisting of himself on guitar, his brother Jim on bass, Walter Kirkes on tenor banjo and Art Davis on fiddle, the band soon landed their own radio show, “The Bill Boyd Ranch House”. When not performing, Bill worked tirelessly to find new sponsors for their show. Thus, they survived the Great Depression intact.
In 1934, the band moved to San Antonio to record for Bluebird Records. There, they cut their biggest hit, “Under the Double Eagle”.
By the late 1930s, the Cowboy Ramblers had expanded to 10 members. Other classics from that decade include “Wah Hoo”, “Beaumont Rag”, “Fan It”, and “I’ve Got Those Oklahoma Blues”.
In addition to becoming popular radio stars, the Cowboy Ramblers also appeared in six Western films throughout the 1940s. Their filmography includes Raiders of the West and Prairie Pals.
Bill Boyd retired from the music business in the early 1950s. Afterwards, he enjoyed a second career as a radio DJ in Dallas. His contribution to radio earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Featured image courtesy of Fannin County, Texas
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