BILL BOYD (MUSICIAN)

Bill 'Cowboy Rambler' Boyd (born William Lemuel Boyd) was a singer, guitarist and actor from the 1930s to the 1970s. He was born in Texas (one of 13 children) and got his start in the music business during the Great Depression by performing at early-morning radio shows. In 1932, he and his brother Jim formed the pioneering western swing band "The Cowboy Ramblers". The Cowboys Ramblers made more than 225 recordings between 1934 and 1951, and had their own popular radio show called "The Bill Boyd Ranch House". In 1935, the Cowboy Ramblers had a huge hit with their recording of "Under the Double Eagle" which later became a western swing standard and remained in print for twenty five years. The Cowboy Ramblers became major stars on radio and were offered work in Hollywood films, and Boyd eventually appeared in six Western movies during the 1940s. To differentiate him from William Boyd of Hopalong Cassidy fame, he was credited as Bill 'Cowboy Rambler' Boyd (there was also a William 'Stage' Boyd to further complicate matters!). Some of those movies include: Along the Sundown Trail, Prairie Pals, and Raiders of the West. He passed away in 1977 at the age of 67.