Our History

Music producers, Gloria and Dewey Miers, have been instrumental in keeping the boots tappin’ and feet dancin’ to the tunes of Western Swing music for the past 30+ years. The Legends of Western Swing Music Festival began in 1987 in Canton, Texas, with Gloria and Dewey on board in 1990. After a quick stop in Snyder, the festival moved and settled in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1997. Since lawn chairs first circled the “stage wagon” 25 years ago, The Legends of Western Swing Music Festival has hosted the finest Western Swing bands in the country. Legendary musicians that played with Bob Wills himself, as well as new bands with a love for it and a desire to keep the music alive, have graced the stage and kept the fans happy and dancin’. With a desire to save a music form that seemed to be in trouble, Gloria and Dewey worked with passion to keep it alive - thanks to the best fans in the world and shows such as The Legends of Western Swing Music Festival, the great State of Texas now boasts Western Swing as the official state’s music.

After Dewey passed away in 2000, Gloria became the sole producer of the show and Gloria Miers Productions was formed. Affectionately known as the “Grande Dame” of Western Swing, Gloria grew the Festival to crowds in excess of 4,000, hosting fans from around the country, as well as England, Japan, Canada and Australia. In 2015, The Legends of Western Swing Music Festival received the prestigious Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Festival in the World, up against festivals in Japan, California, Las Vegas and others.

Gloria passed away in 2021 and her daughter, Melinda, who has been with Dewey and Gloria each step of the way, moves forward with the same passion and love for the music that drove her parents and the many fans they call family. The Legends of Western Swing Music Festival will hitch the wagon and hit the trail to a new home in Ft. Worth, Texas, in 2022…carrying on the tradition and legacy of Western Swing music and the best Festival in the world! Gloria Miers Productions invites you to come along with us.