Question: What was the name of the western swing band promoted by Gov. Wilbert Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel before he ran for office?
Answer: The Light Crust Doughboys. As the sales manager for Saginaw’s Burrus Mill and Elevator Company in 1931, O’Daniel agreed to sponsor a radio show featuring the Wills Fiddle Band—composed of Bob Wills, Herman Arnspiger, and Milton Brown—in an effort to promote the company’s light crust flour.
The three musicians were paid $7.50 a week and were required to work in the mill as well as perform. O’Daniel canceled the show after a few weeks because he didn’t like their “hillbilly music,” but he changed his mind after thousands of fans complained. The band soon became known as the Light Crust Doughboys, and O’Daniel leveraged their popularity to launch successful bids for governor in 1938 and 1940.
