Legendary West Texas broadcaster Bob Lewis of Big Spring signed-off the air Friday, as July 31 marked 57 years of hosting “The Sound of Texas” as Tumbleweed Smith on radio stations throughout the state.
After beginning his radio odyssey on Friday, Aug. 1, 1969, Smith told his listeners today’s broadcast was his last, Friday, July 31, 2026, marking his 14,820th installment over a remarkable 57-year career.
Smith said he counts himself lucky to have been able to have a “fulltime hobby” all these years, and briefly
He told his audience that he’s travelled more than 2 million miles tracking down interviews for his syndicated show, along with hundreds of tires and hours driving through the landscapes he likes most.
Radio has definitely changed a lot since he began.
He talked about how the first 5,000 episodes of his show were assembled with razor blades and splicing tape, mentioning how many different mediums he used to record folks with before finally going digital in 1988.
Smith said the archives of his show are heading for Baylor University, and he plans to get busy finishing his third book, and spending time with his wife Susan.
Locally, Tumbleweed Smith is heard on KCSA-97.1 FM.
