Tumbleweed Smith To Roll Into Grapeland For Annual Chamber Banquet

GRAPELAND - Bob Lewis has burned a lot of rubber traveling Texas’s roads, and the more rugged-the better.

Starting in 1969, Lewis became a story chaser for his “Sound of Texas” radio broadcast to find anyone who could capture the Texan spirit or weave a tale. And after 42 years in the business, the man who “earned” the nickname Tumbleweed Smith may have a story or two to tell himself. Born in Waco and raised in Forth Worth, Lewis attended Baylor University to major in English, but soon had an itch to travel and pick up a few more languages.

“About my junior year, I got to that point where people start questioning where they lived,” he said. “So I traveled across the U.S. hitch-hikinging, and went to school in Mexico in the summer.”

Lewis joined the Army for three years and recalled how his comrades missed hearing radio commercials. When they docked into the New York Harbor at the end of their military tour cheers erupted as a ‘symbol of America’ could be heard on the radio.

“It was in the middle of the newscast, and I knew right then and there news and advertising was something I wanted to do.”

In 1960, he found work at a small ad agency in Waco. His break in the radio business started when a college roommate called him about a job in Big Spring, Texas. Not only was a job awaiting him, but he met his wife of 48 years, Susan, his first week in town.

“It has everything,” Lewis said. “I’ve always lived by three things: have something to do, have somebody to do it with and have a place to do it.”

To further his career more, Lewis earned a master’s in journalism at the University of Missouri in the early 1960s. After about nine years in radio and television news and sitting in dark rooms with switches and lights, he decided to start his own radio program - “Tumbleweed” - when he was a news director at a radio station in Big Spring. As he signed off the program saying he was reporting for Tumbleweed, the name rolled together with his middle name Smith.

Armed with a folder of a thousand ideas and scouring North, South, East, West and Central Texas, Tumbleweed Smith searched for Texas history, folklore, legends, artists, unique events or someone with an unusual talent.

As someone who enjoys washer pitching, fishing and hunting, sitting on someone’s porch to talk was just another hobby.

“Some of the most fascinating people in the world are those who can get a spark in their eye and make going to the grocery store sound like the best thing you’ve heard in a while,” he said.

Lewis, whose parents were reared in Canton and Athens, has made a few treks to Grapeland during his collection of what now totals more than 11,000 interviews. Floyd Salmon, Dan Walling, Charlie Darsey, Wayne Herring, Frances Pridgen, Delbert Walker and Estella Brown are in his pile of notes which now resembles an old Sears catalogue.

With more than 40 years of air time, 260 programs a year and 52 newspaper columns, he may have the opportunity to soon find his next local interview.

Tumbleweed Smith is Grapeland Chamber of Commerce’s guest speaker for the annual banquet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26. According to Chamber President April Bridges, seats are filling up fast. This year’s theme is ‘Stars and Stripes,’ and the Houston County Chorale Society will serve as entertainment.

Lewis hopes to keep people on the edge of their seats with laughter when he speaks, and assures it won’t be too ‘stuffy.’ He’s coming armed with recordings of people he’s found interesting in his nearly 11,000 interviews.

In the meantime, folks can find Tumbleweed Smith’s articles featured each week in the Messenger.

Rachael Riley may be reached via e-mail at Rriley@messenger-news.com