Slim Willet

De Leon, The Heart of Texas

Winston Lee Moore, better known by his stage name Slim Willet, was a country music legend. Slim grew up in Victor, a tiny hamlet only a few miles north of De Leon. Slim Willet’s most famous contribution to the music world was the song "Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes," which became famous after Perry Como recorded it in 1953. The single sold more than a million copies, and has been since covered by hundreds of artists.

Slim Willet was inspired to write "Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes," when he was working as a DJ at KRBC in Abilene. He received a letter from a soldier in Korea, who wanted Slim to play a song for him. The soldier wrote that his girlfriend "had stars in her eyes on moonlit nights" and to "play her a tune, tell her to wait for me, and to not let the stars get in her eyes." A week later, Slim Willet wrote a song based off this romantic request, and thus became a country music immortal.

But Slim Willet was more than just a one-hit wonder. After he graduated college, Slim became a DJ (a skill he nourished while in school) in Abilene. He pioneered a country variety show that was became a hugely popular. His other hit songs include "Tool Pusher from Synder," "Love’s Prison," and "Hadacol Coners." He also penned "Red Rose" and "No Love Song For You" as well.

Slim eventually became a radio station manager in his own right, started in his own record label and publishing company, and continued to host his radio show right up until his death in 1966. In 1994, Winston Lee Moore, known by his beloved moniker Slim Willet, was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame.