LEGENDS OF THE LONGHORN

Bob Wills

There is no Longhorn Ballroom without Bob Wills.

Seriously. You would not be standing here today if it weren’t for Bob Wills opening the doors of the Bob Wills Ranch House in 1950.

Dallas millionaire O.L. Nelms funded the expansive building, opening it for his dear friend and “King of Western Swing,” Bob Wills, and his band, the Texas Playboys. Wills performed regularly at the Ranch House, with his shows often being broadcast on the radio. 

And while the show was always a joy to hear, the real fun was happening inside the walls of the Bob Wills Ranch House. Outfitted with fine fixtures and murals that transported you into the Old West, Wills even had stalls built into the structure for his horses, including his famous white Quarter Horse Punkin – Who was the star of the show most nights. Punkin wore rubber shoes so that he was fit to walk across the stage and dance floor each night without causing the damage traditional metal horseshoes would.