The 1930's saw the rise of the swing bands, leaders like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller notched hit after hit. Country music wasn't going to miss the trend, Milton Brown, Spade Cooley and Bill Boyd all headed country bands that swung and pulled in the crowds. But their music delivered something that was different from that of the usual flow of big bands. Instead of the usual array of brass instruments, they tended to feature strings and include traditional country reels and breakdowns, alongside Mexican and other influences. Their approach was termed ‘Western Swing’ and king of the genre was Bob Wills, leader of The Texas Playboys. Bob Wills provided an array of major country hits throughout the 1940s and into the early 1950s.
