Robert (Bob) James Lewis

Bob Lewis was born ( Robert James Lewis) in Clarksburg, West Virginia in 1919. The son of Wilkie Lewis, (an expert and meticulous carpenter and musician) and Nancy Powell the mother of seven children. Bob was the only child in his family to ever graduate from High School. At 14 years old Bob made the first guitar he ever owned. Bob played his music at may school activites. Bob took the Stage name of Jimmy, (him own middle name) and the last name of Powell which was (his mother’s maiden name) for his “Jimmy Powell” stage name.

He and his first band played in Washington, DC in 1945. They played the West Virginia, Washington DC, Baltimore areas. He played on the same stage with Little Jimmy Dickens in Grafton, WV in 1950. Jimmy Powell and his band entered a radio contest and won a contract to play a run of performances on a local radio station

Bob and his family moved to Lubbock, Texas in 1950. Bob became a master plumber by trade and an excellent carpenter just like his father, but music was always his first love. But through the years he has always had a group and played music and passed the passion for music on to all his own children. As music so often runs hand and hand with excess drinking, Bob joined AA in 1966. Also being a song writer, in 1967, he wrote a song and made a recording of it called “ The AA Way Of Life” which he and his group played, often at AA gatherings and dances in Lubbock. Bob was well know by his friend and family for the large dually extended cab truck that he drove. It was painted a light purple and ALL decked out; you could see it coming miles away! One of his friend described it as looking like the “ Starship Enterprise”.

Bob and Pauline had a 5th wheel trailer and had traveled to all the states but Hawaii.

Bob was married to Pauline for 57 years and had four children, Linda, Nancy, Jimmy and Paula. Pauline passed away in 2006. Bob has remarried to his current wife, Margie.

In June of 2002, Bob had the chance to meet up again with Little Jimmy Dickens in Nashville, TN. and they chatted about old times, and playin back in Grafton.

Bob Lewis entered his ninth decade on March 2, 2010, in Lubbock where his children gatherd to celebrate his 91st Birthday!

He passed away April 25, 2010 in Lubbock.

Celebration of life services will be held at 10:00 am, Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at Resthaven’s Abbey Chapel with Pastor Powell Johnson officiating. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Lubbbock, 1102 Slide Rd., Ste. 3 Lubbock, TX 79416.