Glenn "Blub" Rhees
Glenn
Donald Rhees was born on July 23, 1925 in Oilton,
Oklahoma. Glenn started playing the sax in the seventh
grade at age 12 in Jennings, Oklahoma. He changed
schools in the eighth grade and played in the Oilton
High School Band. He then moved to Tulsa and played in
the Webster High School Band. While there, he performed
on shows with fellow student Patti Page. Following his
high school days, he gained experience in music playing
with area bands while working for oil exploration
companies in Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming and Louisiana.
He moved back to Tulsa after three years to make the
music scene.
From 1946 to 1948, he played with Art Davis and the
Rhythm Riders. They played in Oklahoma, Texas, and
Arkansas. Lucky Moeller heard Glenn and offered him a
job with the Western Okies. Glenn later moved to New
Mexico and played night clubs. In 1950, he moved back to
Oklahoma City and joined Luke Wills Band the Rhythm
Busters at the Trianon Ballrom. A year later Glenn moved
to Lawton, Oklahoma to join the Southernairs. While with
this band he played with Lefty Frizzel, Tommy Duncan,
Webb Pierce, Hank Williams and Tex Ritter, plus a host
of other stars from Nashville.
Four years later he moved back to Tulsa and went to
work with Johnnie Lee Wills. In 1957, Bob Wills was
looking for a sax man, and Johnnie Lee said Glenn was
just the man for him.
Glenn became a full-fledged
Texas Playboy for the next five years. He is on all of
the Liberty recordings. Glenn picked up the nickname "Blub"
because of the extra pounds he carried under his belt.
In 1962,he went back to Johnnie Lee Wills band. Glenn
also had two Top 40 hits with Johnnie Lee Wills,
including "Blub Twist" and "Slush" in 1962.
Rhees was a member of the Musicians Union and had
been inducted into the Western Swing Hall of Fame in
Colorado, Washington, and California. He was also
inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in
Oklahoma City. Glenn Rhees' recordings are included in
the archives of the Smithsonian Institute under Oklahoma
Folk Music.
Glenn Rhees later became a Superintendent of the
Tulsa County Park System. Glenn "Blub" Rhees just
couldn't hang up his horn, and played with the Former
Texas Playboys for many shows in the early 1990's.
Glenn was a resident of Collinsville, Oklahoma for
23 years prior to his death March 29, 1996. Glenn and
his wife Shirley had one son and three daughters.
Glenn "Blub" Rhees is buried at Ridgelawn Cemetery
in Collinsville, Oklahoma.
source, including photo
http://www.texasplayboys.net/Biographies/blub.htm
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