Western Swing

 

 
         
Western swing was the most eclectic form of country music and in its free-wheeling diversity, it set the stage for rock & roll. Based in tradtional string band music, western swing also incorporated traditional pop melodies, jazz improvisation, blues and folk, creating a wildly entertaining and eclectic form of American music. Bob Wills and Milton Brown popularized the genre in the '30s and Wills became known as the father of the genre, since he remained popular for several decades, during which he had a remarkable string of hit singles. Although it sometimes faded away from view, western swing remained popular throughout the 20th century, occasionally experiencing upswings in popularity, such as the early '70s and the early '90s.
Earl "Joaquin" Murphy
Noel Boggs
Junior Barnard
Carolina Cotton (yodeler who sang with several Western Swing groups)
Tommy Duncan, the lead singer with the Texas Playboys
Leon Huff, guitarist and lead singer with the Hillbilly Boys (later with Wills)
Buddy Jones
Billie "Tiny" Moore
Merle Travis
Moon Mullican
Patti Page
Herb Remington
Floyd Tillman
Speedy West
Kitty Williamson ("Texas Rose"), lead fiddle & sometimes vocal with the Hillbilly Boys)

Stretch Dawrson and the Mending Hearts (Edinburgh, Scotland) The Time Jumpers
Tom Morrell & The Timewarp Tophands Wylie & The Wild West Wild River Band  Wayne Hancock

Asleep at the Wheel
John England & the Western Swingers
The Bebop Cowboys
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
The Lucky Stars
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Cow Bop
Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks
The Dancehall Racketeers (Australia)
The Ditty Bops
Don Walser and the Pure Texas Band
The Dusty Chaps (band)
The Hot Club of Cowtown
The Jazzabillies [19]
The Lone Star Swing Band (Orkney Islands, Scotland)
Merle Haggard & the Strangers
The Quebe Sisters Band
Red Brown & the Tune Stranglers (Olympia, Washington)
The Red Dirt Rangers
The Red Stick Ramblers
Shorty & The Mustangs (Portland, OR)