Boyd was born and raised on a farm near Ladonia in Fannin County, Texas as one of thirteen children.

Bill and his brother Jim (born 1914) tried to survive the hard times by working different odd jobs.

His band consisted of himself on guitar, Jim Boyd on bass, Walter Kirkes on tenor banjo and Art Davis on fiddle.

[6] During the band's history, many of the members also worked simultaneously with the Light Crust Doughboys and Roy Newman's Boys.

[7] In 1935, the Cowboy Ramblers had a huge hit with their recording of "Under the Double Eagle," which later became a western swing standard[6] and remained in print for twenty-five years.