Western swing has become the traditional music of Oklahoma. While it was "born in Texas," it was Tulsa where it matured, and one of the major figures in its development- Johnnie Lee Wills- still lives in Tulsa and continues to play dances there. And the man who took western swing from the Southwest to the nation and to international audiences_- Hank Thompson - lives near and works out of Tulsa.

A cultural blend of musical styles, western swing has one primary characteristic- a danceable beat. While country and bluegrass music primarily emerged as listening traditions, the principal audience for western swing is a dancing crowd. If the ...