Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys recorded “Silver Bells” in 1938, but I’m not certain if the tune originated with him.
Wills recorded it in Dallas on Nov. 28, 1938. The liner notes say: Bob lays down two fiddle numbers from his youth: “Silver Bells” and “Beaumont Rag.” And on the tune itself it says “arranged by B. Wills”. It was recorded by Wills several other times at later dates, and by many other fiddlers and groups. I do though, really like the version by the Linvilles.