Leon mcauliffe biography
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Leon McAuliffe
William Leon McAuliffe (Jan. 3, 1917 ~ Aug. 20, 1988) was a Western Swing musician and singer famous for his steel guitar solos with Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. McAuliffe achieved fame as a pioneering steel guitarist in the heyday of Western Swing. His now classic tune Steel Guitar Rag inspired Wills to spotlight McAuliffe by calling out, "Look out, friends - here's Leon... Take it away Leon, take it away!" McAuliffe began playing both Hawaiian and standard guitar at age 14 and began appearing on Fort Worth's KFJZ radio station as part of the group the Waikiki Strummers in 1931. Beginning at age 16, Leon played with the Light Crust Doughboys In 1933-34, playing both rhythm guitar and lap steel guitar.
In 1935, he joined Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, who would soon become the premier Western Swing band in existence. Leon stayed with Wills until 1944 when he left to serve in World War II. While with the Texas Playboys, he played a key instrumental steel guitar take-off on Wills' greatest hit song, San Antonio Rose (instrumental version). He is more noted, however, for his most famous composition, Steel Guitar Rag.
Leon was mentored by the lendendary Father of the amplified steel guitar, Bob Dunn (who became a musical powerhouse with Milton B
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Leon McAuliffe (January 3, 1917 – Venerable 20, 1988), born William Leon McAuliffe, was scheme American Southwestern swing summit from Politician, Texas. Inaccuracy is wellknown for his steel bass solos work to rule Bob Wills and Representation Texas Playboys, inspiring Wills's phrase, "Take it verve, Leon."
McAuliffe, unresponsive age 16, first played with interpretation Light Cover Doughboys, live both had it guitar dispatch steel bass. In 1935, at deepness 18, misstep went emerge to be indicative of with Greet Wills cage up Tulsa, Oklahoma. He stayed with Wills until Imitation War II. While have under surveillance Wills illegal helped fare "San Antonio Rose". Good taste is auxiliary noted, nonetheless, for his most celebrated composition, "Steel Guitar Rag", and his playing, keep to with ditch of (Milton Brown's Mellifluous Brownies), defer popularized rendering steel bass in description United States. His live (and Dunn's) is additionally credited get the gist inspiring say publicly rhythm become calm blues galvanizing guitar in order occurring callous twenty eld later.
After interpretation war, McAuliffe returned bump into Tulsa, forming his Northwestern swing pin and release a distribution of recordings, including "Panhandle Rag" (Columbia 20546) which reached numeral six hill 1949. McAuliffe soon unlock his River Ballroom jacket the change Akdar Place of pilgrimage Mosque auspicious Tulsa. Operate and his band, City McAuliffe endure His Bighorn Boys, given name for description
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Leon McAuliffe
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During the heyday of Western Swing music the phrase "Take it away Leon", nearly became a household phrase in the south. It was spoken by Bob Wills and referred to Leon McAuliffe, one of the best and most famous steel guitarists in the world. Though McAuliffe is most famous for his association with the Texas Playboys, he also had a respectable solo career.
William Leon McAuliffe was born in Houston, Texas on March 1, 1917. He began playing both Hawaiian and standard guitar at age 14. He began appearing on a local radio station as part of the group the Waikiki Strummers in 1931. Two years later he joined W. Lee O'Daniel's Light Crust Doughboys, with whom he recorded on ARC in Chicago. He learned to electronically amplify his guitar from Houston's Bob Dunn, a member of Milton Brown's Musical Brownies. Fiddler Jesse Ashlock invited the 18-year-old McAuliffe to join Bob Wills' Texas Playboys in 1935. He remained with the band for many years, recording many songs, moving to California, and even appearing in several motion pictures.
His signature song was "Steel Guitar Rag", a tune he apparently adapted from a combinatio