Back to Oral History
  • Oral History

Jesse Ashlock

June 16, 1971 OH442 72 min.

Biography


Pioneer western swing fiddler and songwriter. Born February 22, 1915. Died August 9, 1976. Career most active 1930s and 1940s. Full name: Jesse Theford Ashlock. Worked with Milton Brown and Bob Wills. Songwriting credits include “Please Don’t Leave Me,” “My Life’s Been A Pleasure,” “The Kind of Love I Can’t Forget,” and “Still Water Runs the Deepest.”

Interview Summary

1971 June 16
(1 hour, 12 minutes)
Western swing fiddler Jesse Ashlock recalls his career. Discussion includes growing up in a musical family; playing house dances during the 1920’s and 1930’s; meeting Bob Wills when he was 14; learning to play swing music from Cecil Brower; playing with Milton Brown and the Musical Brownies when he was 17; touring with Bob Wills and his band; recruiting Leon McAuliffe to join Bob Wills’s band; using saxophone in a western band; recording sessions with Bob Wills and Bill Boyd; playing with Jimmy Wakely; touring with Ray Whitley; memories of Cecil Brower, Merle Travis, and Uncle Ike Emory; his own songwriting.

We use cookies in the following ways: (1) for system administration, (2) to assess the performance of the website, (3) to personalize your experience, content and ads, (4) to provide social media features, and (5) to analyze our traffic. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. Please consult instructions for your web browser to disable or block cookies, or to receive a warning before a cookie is stored on your computer or mobile device. Read our Privacy Policy.