Edgar Leon Rausch (October 2, 1927 – May 14, 2019) was "the voice" of "

Bob Wills James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...

and his

Texas Playboys James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...

". Rausch was born in

Billings, Missouri Billings is a city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,035 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri metropolitan area. History Billings was platted in 1872. The community was named after railro ...

. He was lead vocalist from 1958 until the early 60s when he created his own band "The New Texas Playboys". In 1973, Wills asked Rausch to rejoin

the Texas Playboys James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...

to record his final album ''For the Last Time''. After Wills died in 1975, Rausch and the original Texas Playboys continued to record and tour until the band played the final concert in 1986. Rausch performed each year at the Bob Wills day festival the last weekend of April in Turkey, Texas at the Bob Wills community center. The music of The Texas Playboys is "

Western Swing Western swing, country jazz or smooth country is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which att ...

." In 2011, the Texas Legislature adopted a resolution designating western swing as the official "State Music of Texas". Rausch made a memorable appearance as a band singer in the 1998

Stephen Frears Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous a ...

film

The Hi-Lo Country ''The Hi-Lo Country'' is a 1998 Western film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Billy Crudup, Penélope Cruz, Woody Harrelson, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott, Patricia Arquette, Enrique Castillo, and Katy Jurado. It is set in post-World War II ...

, in a scene featuring one of the film's highlights —

Don Walser Donald Ray Walser (September 14, 1934 – September 20, 2006) was an American country music singer. He was known as a unique, award-winning yodeling "Texas country music legend." Music career Walser was born in Brownfield, Texas and raised ...

's rendition of "

I'll Hold You in My Heart "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" is a 1947 song by Eddy Arnold. The song was Eddy Arnold's third number one on the ''Billboard'' Juke Box Folk Records chart. "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms ...

." Rausch died on May 14, 2019, in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. He was 91.

References

External links

Biography at official websiteBiography at AllMusic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rausch, Leon 1927 births 2019 deaths Western swing performers People from Billings, Missouri Singers from Missouri