When directors of the Menard Chamber of Commerce wanted to have a really special banquet and awards ceremony in their beautiful new multi-purpose center, they knew they’d need a really special keynote speaker. They invited Bob Lewis, a.k.a. Tumbleweed Smith, and the event was a huge success.
There are probably a few people in the big cities of Texas who have never heard of Tumbleweed Smith, but he’s very well known in many of the smaller towns, where his radio show, newspaper column and personal appearances get enthusiastic reviews. A member of the Society of Earth Scientists called Lewis “the Mark Twain of the Texas Plain,” and the Texas State Legislature officially honored Tumbleweed “for creating a priceless resource of Texas folk tales, lore and wisdom.” Here’s how it all happened.
Bob Lewis was the son of a Fort Worth-area grocery store owner. He graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1953, and studied English and Drama at Baylor University. One of his professors was Paul Baker; “Mr. Theater in the 50s,” Lewis recalls. Baker and others inspired Lewis to pursue a career in show business.
After a stint in the Army during the late 50s, Lewis heard of a job selling advertising for a radio station in Big Spring. His first weekend on the job, he met Susan Zack; they were married in 1963.
While he was working as news director at KHEM radio in Big Spring, Lewis started recording interviews with all kinds of interesting Texans. “The Sound of Texas” became the state’s most widely syndicated Texas feature program, and Lewis’ library of recorded interviews became a treasure trove of Texas lore. He adopted the stage-and-pen name “Tumbleweed Smith” and began writing a newspaper column for dozens of smalltown papers.
In 1973, Tumbleweed began accepting invitations as an after-dinner speaker; at first, he did all the talking. “I told Texas jokes and stories. It was old, boring stuff” He soon began to incorporate excerpts of his recordings into his presentation; it was a huge success. In the meantime, he continued his radio and newspaper work and began teaching broadcast production and speech at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa. He has no plans for retirement.
Tumbleweed will celebrate his 40th year of recording Texas personalities next year; most are not famous people, but in his Menard presentation, he used the actual voices of Texas luminaries like Hondo Crouch, Ace Reid and Hallie Stilwell. The program had Menard’s leading citizens almost rolling in the aisles.
It was very interesting to watch Tumbleweed in action. He and his wife, Susan, arrived early in the day, and checked out the room they would be using. They unloaded the sound system, set it up and tested the acoustics thoroughly. They inquired about traffic patterns; where was the kitchen, where were the bathrooms. They even taped cables to the floor, to make sure no one would trip over them. They obviously have done this many times before, and yet they both seemed to really be looking forward to doing it again. Tumbleweed had his little props, like a “nose harp” and Texas-shaped sunglasses; Susan had a display of books and CDs; all the bases were covered.
And it worked! The sound was perfect, as Susan alternated seamlessly between Tumbleweed and the subjects of his interviews. The tales were tall, the jokes were funny and the guests were well-entertained. If Tumbleweed Smith wants more work (he’s past normal retirement age!), he’s certainly on the right track.
For the small town of Menard, Texas, the evening was a tremendous success. The new multi-purpose building was showcased well, the food was excellent, the awards were presented before a large and enthusiastic audience, and everyone went home feeling good. Another day’s work for Bob and Susan Lewis.