The King of Western Swing: Bob Wills Remembered [Hardcover]

Rosetta Wills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1998

Written by the artist's daughter, the book reveals for the first time the inside story of Wills's offstage life, together with a chronicle of his extraordinarily eclectic and influential career. 60 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rosetta Wills, a freelance writer whose articles on country music artists have appeared in The Austin American-Statesman, lives in Austin, Texas. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill Pubns; 1ST edition (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823077446
• ISBN-13: 978-0823077441
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,090,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No sense of direction, March 31, 2000

By 

JLC (Dallas, Tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King of Western Swing: Bob Wills Remembered (Hardcover)

This book comes much closer to being an autobiography than a biography. Only about half of the book is really about Bob Wills, and it's a poorly-written book to boot. It's similar to listening to someone just "ramble" all over the place, from one subject and time period to another, with little or no warning. It never flows and is hard to follow. The only reason I give it even 1 star is for a few bits of information about Bob Wills that I might not have read anywhere else and it does have some good pictures.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and done with feeling, but unfocused., December 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The King of Western Swing: Bob Wills Remembered (Hardcover)

This book can't decide if it is a biography or an autobiography and doesn't succeed as either; it shifts between the author's feelings about her father, their relationship, and her personal growth, while simultaneously attempting to document Bob Will's life. The result is an awkwardly structured narrative, albeit with some interesting insights (but also some minor factual errors).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique entertainment figure revealed with love., July 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The King of Western Swing: Bob Wills Remembered (Hardcover)

Bob Wills daughter, Rosetta, tells of a man who drew from his family's traditional musical roots in West Texas to develop a sound and a style that have influenced generations of musicians up to the present day.

Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Reba McIntire, George Strait, and others tell of debts owed to the influence of Bob Wills. The book reveals a humble, self-effacing personality secure in his musical talent and innovations. He brought diverse musicians together to produce a joyous sound, one that people flocked to dance halls to hear and to dance. He made them "feel good, feel happy" in spite of hard times.

Rosetta, through her dairy kept as a young girl, tells the touching story of tenuous ties with her famous father over the years. Bob Wills married five times, fathering six children. His schedule of daily radio broadcasts, club and dance hall performances, and eight movies may account for the nature of his relationships.

Fans from all walks of life have enc! ouraged Rosetta, telling in this book of their memories and devotion to her father and helping to keep his spirit close to her.