On November 1st, the Broadcast Museum in Kilgore will welcome a true Texas original into its prestigious ranks. Tumbleweed Smith, the voice and visionary behind the long-running radio series The Sound of Texas, will be inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, honoring a lifetime of storytelling that has captured the heart and soul of the Lone Star State.

After nine years in traditional radio and television news, Tumbleweed took a leap of faith. “It was sort of an experiment in free enterprise,” he recalls. “I wanted to see if I could make a living doing what I really like to do.” That passion led to the birth of The Sound of Texas, a syndicated series that began on August 1, 1969, and has since become a beloved fixture across the state.

The program explores Texas history, folklore, small towns, quirky events, and—most of all—the colorful characters who make Texas unforgettable. Over the decades, Tumbleweed has conducted more than 14,000 interviews, each one a thread in the rich tapestry of Texas life. These recordings will soon find a permanent home in the oral history archives at Baylor University, preserving his legacy for generations to come.

Beyond radio, Tumbleweed has penned a syndicated newspaper column for over 40 years, further cementing his role as a chronicler of Texas culture.

He resides in Big Spring with his wife, Susan. Together, they’ve built a family that includes two sons, four grandsons, and one great-grandson—proof that storytelling runs deep in the Smith household.

As November approaches, the Texas broadcasting community prepares to honor a man who didn’t just report the news—he captured the spirit of a state, one voice at a time.