Soul Station Feature: Billy Jack Wills

Teardreops From My Eyes

Billy Jack Wills was the youngest brother of the famous fiddler and western swing band leader Bob Wills. He did not get a chance to lead his own band until brother Bob left California for a residence on Oklahoma. The much younger (20 years) Wills was quite current in his musical interests, which included jump blues, r&b and even bebop. He was able to to center his own band around two great and unique musicians: Tiny Moore on electric mandolin and Vance Terry on pedal steel guitar. While Billy Jack made a few fine records for MGM from 1954 to 1957, perhaps his best recordings were done for radio transcription services, like this killer version of Teardrops From My Eyes.

DJ Pi/Paul Yamada