James Robert (Bob) Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by many music authorities one of the fathers of Western swingWolff, Country Music, "Big Balls in Cowtown: Western Swing From Fort Worth to Fresno", p. 29: If any single person deserves to be considered the 'father' of western swing, it must be Bob Wills."West, "Trails and Footprints", p. 39: "Snyder [1] hosts the West Texas Western Swing Festival ('Come Fiddle Around in Snyder'), recognizing the regional origins of the father of western swing, Bob Wills, from Turkey (a bit more than a hundred miles due north in Hall County) ..." and called by his fans the "King of Western Swing."

New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma

He was born near Kosse, Texas to Emma Lee Foley and John Tompkins Wills.Ancestry of Bob Wills His father was a statewide champion fiddle player.Milton Brown and the Founding of Western Swing. Cary Ginell. 1994. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-02041-3 and the Wills family was either playing music, or someone was "always wanting us to play for them", in addition to raising cotton on their farm.

In addition to picking cotton the young Jim Bob was taught to play the fiddle and the mandolin. Both a sister and brother played guitar, while another sister played piano. The Wills frequently held country dances in their home, and there was dancing in all four rooms.San Antonio Rose - The Life and Music of Bob Wills. Charles R. Townsend. 1976. University of Illinois. page 17. ISBN 0-252-00470-1