UTPB’s Tumbleweed Smith hosts 10,000th broadcast

University of Texas of the Permian Basin professor Bob Lewis aired the 10,000th broadcast of “The Sound of Texas” Feb. 7.

Lewis, better known as “Tumbleweed Smith,” started the series on Aug. 1, 1969. The first interview subject was the movie actor Jon Voight, who had been in Big Spring filming the movie “Midnight Cowboy.” He had the leading role of Joe Buck — Voight will also be the interview subject on the 10,000th broadcast.

“Jon Voight was as personable the other day when I interviewed him as he was 40 years ago when I interviewed him in Big Spring,” Tumbleweed said. During the interview, Voight told Tumbleweed how he landed the part of Joe Buck and how it launched his movie career, which covers a span of nearly 70 movies. “I’m still getting calls,” said Voight, who is remarkably grateful for his long tenure as an actor.

Tumbleweed started his series while employed as news director at KHEM radio in Big Spring. “We had just put a man on the moon,” Tumbleweed said, “and Texans had a lot to do with that undertaking. I wanted to delve into the Texas spirit, travel the state, interview all kinds of people and report my findings on a daily statewide radio program.”

He sent out 65 sample programs and one station, KZZN in Littlefield, signed up for the series. “Man, I thought that was great. I had a network — two stations.”

Within a month, five stations had signed up for the series, and Tumbleweed quit his job at the radio station. “I knew what I wanted to do and was going to do it.”

He drove 200,000 miles around Texas the next couple of years, dropping into radio stations, selling his program and getting interviews.

Tumbleweed has been teaching broadcast production and speech at UTPB since 1974.

He also does a statewide syndicated newspaper column.

Tumbleweed does a lot of public speaking and uses the recorded voices of some of his most humorous interviews in his presentations. Texas Highways magazine said Tumbleweed has probably recorded more Texas characters than anyone.

His collection of more than 10,000 programs, featuring the sounds and nuances of the Texas mystique, has been called the largest private collection of oral history in the United States. The series will celebrate 40 years in 2009.

The Texas House of Representatives has recognized Tumbleweed “for creating a priceless resource of Texas folk tales, lore and wisdom.”

ON THE NET:

>> www.tumbleweedsmith.com.