ROOTS of Country Music

Overlooked By  the Country Music Hall of Fame

Tommy Duncan was a pioneering western swing vocalist and songwriter who gained fame in the 1930s and 1940s as a member of The Texas Playboys. As the lead singer for the classic lineup of the Texas Playboys, Duncan was the definitive western swing vocalist. Crossing the smooth croon of Bing Crosby with the twang of Jimmie Rodgers and the bluesy inclinations of Emmett Miller, Duncan had a warm, distinctive and welcoming voice that helped the Playboys cross over to a wider audience.

Pictured right Tommy Duncan

Not only was he a great, trendsetting vocalist, Duncan also wrote many of the Texas Playboys' biggest hits. Tommy left the Playboys in 1948 when tensions between him and Bob Wills became too great.

Bob Wills went through several bands in his early years including the Light Crust Doughboys and the Forth Worth Doughboys (late-1920s and early-1930s). Wills rubbed shoulders with other western swing pioneers like Milton Browne during these times. However, it was not until he formed his own band, the Texas Playboys, that he came into his own. Tommy Duncan was hired by Wills in 1933 to fill the vacant spot left in the Light Crust Doughboys by vocalist/pianist Milton Brown. Duncan ended up singing lead vocal on most of Wills' popular hits.

Tommy Duncan was to Bob Wills what Moon Mullican was to Cliff Bruner. Duncan showed his prowess as a blues singer on such tracks as Honey, What You Gonna Do, Swing Blues #1 and Jimmie Rodgers' Blue Yodel #1. Such tracks as these proved that Duncan's style stemmed from the blues. Wills rarely sang himself, but when he did sing he sang the blues.

Tommy Duncan stayed with Bob Wills until 1948, when Wills fired the singer, believing that Duncan was commanding too much attention. This was the single worst thing that ever happened to Wills' band. Nobody could replace Duncan in Wills' band.

Upon leaving the Playboys, Duncan formed a western swing band with several former members of the Playboys and signed to Capitol Records. Gamblin' Polka Dot Blues, his debut single, was a hit in 1949, peaking at No. 8 on the charts. After touring with the band during 1948 and 1949, Duncan joined the Miller Brothers Band in the early '50s. Wills and Duncan patched up their differences and reunited in 1960, recording a number of sessions.

In 1968, apparently with no thought of Tommy Duncan, the Country Music Hall of Fame committee inducted Bob Wills. As of this writing, Tommy Duncan remains grossly overlooked by that organization. Go to Tommy Duncan's Page.

In 1936, Pee Wee King formed the Golden West Cowboys (GWC) , which initially featured Abner Sims (fiddler), Curly Rhodes (guitarist) and singer Texas Daisy. In 1937, vocalist/fiddler Redd Stewart joined the lineup. King ran a tight ship with elaborate stage shows which promoted the band well around the Louisville, Kentucky area.

Pictured left Redd Stewart

In 1937, King and the Cowboys accepted a spot on the Grand Ole Opry. Pee Wee King first used an amplified electric guitar on-stage at the extremely conservative Opry in 1940 and introduced drums to the Opry stage in 1947.

Several prominent vocalists passed through the ranks of the GWC. In the span of just five years, Eddy Arnold, Milton Estes, Cowboy Copas and Tommy Sosebee all spent time with the GWC. Redd Stewart, who outlasted them all, became the lead vocalist, formerly held by Eddy Arnold.

In 1948, Pee Wee King signed a contract with RCA Records.  When Redd Stewart did step front and center, he ended up singing lead vocal on most of King's popular hits, beginning with the Tennessee Waltz (No. 3, 1948). King and Stewart also co-wrote dozens of songs, including this song. Tennessee Waltz sold millions of copies throughout the years, rivaling Jimmie Davis' You Are My Sunshine as the most popular songs in country music all-time.

Redd Stewart appeared in several movies with Pee Wee King, including Gold Mine in the Sky (1938), Ridin’ the Outlaw Trail (1951) and The Rough, Tough West (1952), the last two starring Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid. In 1961, Stewart and King appeared in the movie, Hoedown.

As the lead vocalist, Redd Stewart was the nucleus of the Golden West Cowboys. In 1974, the Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Pee Wee King. Like Tommy Duncan, Redd Stewart has been grossly overlooked by that organization.

Listen to Stewart and Duncan 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Feb. 21, 2012.