Who was Pappy O'Daniel ?

Wilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel (March 11, 1890 – May 12, 1969).

In the late 1920s, (Pappy) O'Daniel assumed responsibility for the Burrus company's radio advertising. To that end, he wrote songs, sang, and hired a group of musicians to form an old timey band to back his vocals. Originally called the "Light Crust Doughboys," notable musicians such as Bob Wills got their start with O'Daniel.

In 1938, he ran for governor of Texas as a Democrat. O'Daniel won the Democratic primary election with 51 percent of the ballots over twelve opponents.

In 1941, O'Daniel ran for the United States Senate in a special election. He defeated Lyndon Johnson by 1,311 votes in one of the more controversial elections in state history. His victory made him the only person to ever defeat Johnson for elected office.

The 2000 Coen Brothers film "O Brother Where Art Thou" featured a character played by Charles Durning and named Governor Pappy O'Daniel, loosely based on the real O'Daniel, and set in Mississippi.