Houston-born Leon McAuliffe was still a teenager in 1935, when he toted his steel guitar to Tulsa and joined up with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Although Leon was, and is, best known for his groundbreaking prowess on that instrument, he was also a fine vocalist, as the first tune in Saturday’s episode of SWING ON THIS demonstrates. In fact, there’ll be two McAuliffe performances on the show, one with Wills and another with Leon’s own post-WWII band, also headquartered in Tulsa.
In addition, this week’s SWING ON THIS playlist includes a fine number that went Top 10 on the Canadian country-music charts in 1988, becoming Billy Parker’s biggest north-of-the-border hit; Dave Alexander with one of the last songs ever penned by the great Cindy Walker; and — well, when’s the last time you heard a cut from Paul Howard and His Cotton Pickers?
That and the usual much more this Saturday at 7 p.m., coming your way in the Tulsa listening area from NPR affiliate KWGS, 89.5 FM and streaming everywhere on earth, and possibly beyond, at publicradiotulsa.org. Join us, won’t you?
1. “That’s What I Like About the South,” Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
(for STEVE CONARD)
2. “Main Street USA,” Red Dirt Rangers
3. “The Bottle Is Just Fooling You,” Carl Smith
(for WES & JEANNIE BENGE, HAMILL TIME, and the GLASS LIFTERS)
4. “Take It Away, Leon,” Leon McAuliffe
5. “Won’t You Ride in My Little Red Wagon,” Hank Thompson
(for KATHY JOHNSON)
6. “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” Country Cousins Band
7. “San Antonio Rose,” Lonesome Valley Singers
(for AP MCQUIDDY)
8. “Alexander’s Goodtime Band,” Dave Alexander
9. “I Wish That Your Picture Was You,” Johnnie Lee Wills and All the Boys
(for STEVE HIGGINS)
10. “Cry Me A River,” Crystal Gayle
11. “Blue Canadian Rockies,” High, Wide & Handsome
(for CLARKE & BETH WRIGHT)
12. “She’s Sittin’ Pretty,” Billy Parker
(for CAROLE & JACK BENDER)
13. “You Don’t Have to be A Baby to Cry,” Round Up Boys
14. “Rootie Tootie,” Paul Howard and His Cotton Pickers
(for MARK FULLER)
15. “Rosetta,” Michael H. Price and His Western Swingmasters