Texas musicians Milton Brown and Bob Wills (both members during the early 1930s of the Light Crust Doughboys) more or less invented western swing, which was a combination of rural country music and big band jazz. This 'cowboy jazz' music was generally upbeat and happy, more uptown and swingin' than anything found in a gritty roadside honky tonk, and made for dancing in the big halls of Texas and Oklahoma. It eventually spread to California and beyond, evolving at the hands of Spade Cooley, Tex Williams, Hank Penny, and Hank Thompson. The popularity of Western swing died off some in the 1950s and 1960s, but in the latter half of the 20th century many younger artists rediscovered the style, including Asleep at the Wheel and the Hot Club of Cowtown.

Notable Artists: Bob Wills, Spade Cooley, Milton Brown, Cliff Bruner, Smokey Wood