When the Grammy-winning Asleep at the Wheel got its start , no one quite knew what to make of the band 鈥� a group with a lot of country and jazz influences combined with rock-and-roll swagger. The passage of time is clearly on the mind of Ray Benson, the leader of the modern-day kings and queens of Western swing.
In the years since he founded the group, 鈥淏rother Ray,鈥� as Benson is affectionately known, has become an icon himself. He鈥檚 been the literal voice of the state鈥檚 鈥淒on鈥檛 Mess With Texas鈥� anti-litter campaign, and served as a goodwill ambassador for Texas music.
And Asleep at the Wheel now has a new EP release to mark 鈥�50 Years at the Wheel.鈥�
Benson told Texas Standard he wrote one of its tracks, 鈥淏etter Times,鈥� while recovering from COVID-19. Benson got the disease in March 2020. He calls himself an 鈥渆arly adopter.鈥�
While he recovered, Benson says he watched a lot of black-and-white movies, and he thought about the similarities between World War II and COVID-19.
鈥淚 wanted to write a song that sort of evoked that whole feeling, that we鈥檙e gonna get through this, after the war. And we鈥檒l all be together in better times,鈥� Benson said.
He also wrote about how the pandemic has changed performers鈥� lives, including those of his bandmates.
Despite the band鈥檚 sound, and Benson鈥檚 imposing stature, he didn鈥檛 come by his Western swing credentials at birth. He was raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, and played folk music as a youngster. Benson credits 1950s television with introducing him to cowboys and other Western characters.
鈥淲hen I found out Tex Williams was from Indiana, and Roy Rogers from Ohio, I thought, 鈥榃ell hell, I can do that,'鈥� Benson said.
Benson got to Texas by way of West Virginia, where he began playing honky tonks in 1969. Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm encouraged Benson to come to Texas, Nelson offering him the chance to open his shows.
鈥淚t was just so perfect,鈥� Benson said.
Soon, they were covering the songs of Western swing pioneer, Bob Wills, and Austin 鈥渇elt like home.鈥�
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