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The Willis Brothers were
a very popular trio during the ‘50s and ‘60s and are
remembered for their great hit, “Give Me Forty Acres,” which
became a favorite with all truck drivers. Skeeter was known as
the “smilin’ fiddler; Guy was the front man and bore the brunt
of the group’s onstage jokes; and Vic played the accordian,
very well I might add.
Skeeter was born in 1917 in
Coalton, Oklahoma and died in 1976; Guy was born in Arkansas
in 1915 and named Alex. He died in 1981; Vic was born in
Schulter, Oklahoma in 1922 and passed away in 1995.
The group started out
professionally playing on the radio in Shawnee, Oklahoma as
the “Oklahoma Wrangers,” moving to a station in Kansas City,
Missouri in 1940.
After a stint in the armed
forces during World War II, they were added to the Grand Ole
Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, where they stayed until 1949.
They decided to join Eddy Arnold’s road show was the reason
they left. Back in 1946, they had the privilege to “back-up” a
fledgling new recording artist by the name of Hank Williams.
After Skeeter died of cancer
in 1976, Guy decided to retire. Vic then formed a pop trio and
continued in the music business. Guy passed away five years
later.
Dusty Owens
TCM Radio News
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