The Willis Brothers | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Oklahoma Wranglers |
| Origin | Oklahoma, United States |
| Labels | Starday |
| Past members | James Willis Charles Willis John Willis Joe Willis Webb Cardwell |
The Willis Brothers were an Americancountry music ensemble fromOklahoma, consisting of several brothers.
Two of the Willis brothers (James, Charles) and Webb "Robber Baron" Cardwell, played together as teenagers from the early 1930s under the nameOklahoma Wranglers.[1] They were regulars onShawnee, Oklahoma stationKGFF through the decade,[1] but in 1939, Joe married and exited the group.[2] In 1958, Webb left the group and John (Vic) joined,[2] and soon after the group moved toKansas City, where they appeared on theBrush Creek Follies through 1942.[1] All three members fought inWorld War II separately, preventing them from continuing as a group until war's end, but in 1946 they reunited and played theGrand Ole Opry.[1] They became members of theOpry in the 1940s.[3] Signing withSterling Records,[2] they began recording both as the Oklahoma Wranglers, and as a backing band forHank Williams.[2]
In 1949, the group left the Opry and toured nationally withEddy Arnold through 1957.[1] They also performed in the filmsFeuding Rhythm andHoe Down.[1] Following this they dropped the Wranglers name and became the Willis Brothers, and under this name recorded copiously for the labelsMercury,Coral,RCA, andStarday.[2] In the late 1950s, the Willis Brothers hosted a live noonday TV show on WRPG-TV, the NBC affiliate in Chattanooga, TN. Guy, Vic and Skeeter were accompanied by Chuck Wright, who played bass in full Indian headdress. Guy Willis also hosted an afternoon children’s program on the same station for several years. In 1964, they released the single "Give Me Forty Acres (To Turn This Rig Around)", which became aTop Ten country hit in the United States.[1] They were the first country music ensemble to perform at theConstitution Hall inWashington, D.C.[1]
After the deaths of two of the brothers, Skeeter and Guy, the Vic Willis Trio was formed with C.W. Mitchell and Curtis Young debuting on theGrand Ole Opry for the first time in November, 1980. The Vic Willis Trio remained a fixture on the Opry until 1995, when Vic died in a car crash near the Meriwether Lewis Park and Monument on the Natchez Trace, at age 73.[2]
Vic Willis was known as a practical prankster and loved a good joke, and was well known for those attributes during his time at theGrand Ole Opry. He served not only as accordionist for the Willis brothers' group, but also served as secretary-treasurer for theMusicians' Union in Nashville for many years.
Vic Willis served an unusual role in theGrand Ole Opry cast during the period throughout the period from the early 1960s through the 1980s, producing and recording commercial jingles from his home recording studio, recording hundreds of commercials featuring country artists and others, for local Nashville and national sponsors, such as Big Star Stores, Kellogg's (for which they also performed live commercial jingles on theGrand Ole Opry when they were in town), Fender Musical Instruments, Acme Boots, Lava Soap, Luzianne Coffee, Levy's Men's Wear, and others.
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | In Action | Starday |
| 1963 | Code of the West | |
| 1965 | Give Me Forty Acres | |
| Road Stop | ||
| 1966 | Wild Side of Life | |
| Goin' to Town | ||
| 1967 | Bob | |
| 1968 | Hey Mr. Truck Driver | |
| 1969 | Bummin' Around | |
| 1970 | The Best | |
| 1971 | For the Good Times |
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1964 | "Give Me Forty Acres (To Turn This Rig Around)" | 9 | 1 | Give Me Forty Acres |
| 1965 | "A Six Foot Two by Four" | 41 | — | Road Stop |
| 1967 | "Bob" | 14 | — | Bob |
| "Somebody Knows My Dog" | 62 | — | single only | |
