w lee o'daniel
After my last post it occurred to me that some people might never have heard of W. Lee O'Daniel.
He was a flour mill manager in Fort Worth who hit on the idea of advertising his flour with a radio show that featured a band called the Light Crust Doughboys. O'Daniel himself was the announcer, lacing his program with Bible quotes and political commentary. The show became very popular in rural areas and O'Daniel played off that popularity to get himself elected governor and later senator, defeating a young LBJ. W. Lee campaigned as "just folks," promising tax cuts and old-age pensions, but once elected he allied himself with northern Republicans against labor and New Deal Democrats.
As for the Light Crust Doughboys they were the seminal Western Swing band. Several members went on to lead their own bands, including Bob Wills who founded the Texas Playboys.
