From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Mar 28, 2002  1:15 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Jess Willard
 
JESS WILLARD (By Shaun Mather)

Born Jess Willard Griffin, 28 March 1916, Washburn, Texas
Died 26 May 1959, Auburn, California

His twenty odd tracks for Capitol in the early 1950's, including a
high-stepping Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor, have ensured that Willard has a
place in the history books, albeit a smaller one than his talents deserved.
He was born in the small town of Washburn, east of Amarillo, one of seven
children. He was taught the guitar by his father and at some point hooked up
with Jack Guthrie, before opening a dance hall in Klamath Falls, Oregon,
where he had moved with his wife Lorene and daughter Doreen in 1943. Six
years later he moved to LA and was sitting in with Ole Rasmussen at the
Harmony Park Ballroom when he was spotted and ultimately signed up by Lee
Gillette for the Capitol label. Over the next two years he cut 26 tunes,
which all benefited greatly from the best session men on the West Coast,
like Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West and Cliffie Stone. The songs were mostly
up-tempo honky tonk with a hint of western swing , usually with great lyrics
(eg. Mail Order Mama or Turn That Gun Around). For some reason the singles
failed to register on the charts. Willard kept out of the studio for three
years, although he was an active performer during this time, entertaining
the troups at the Army bases in the Far East. In Hollywood in 1955 he cut a
single for Ekko with a young Eddie Cochran on lead guitar. The late '50's
saw releases on Kay-Hi and Sundown, before his untimely death at the age of
43, following a heart attack.

Recommended listening:
Jess Willard - Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor (Bear Family). 28 tracks, 1950-55.