Since the early ’70s, Asleep at the Wheel has been the most important force in keeping the sound of Western swing alive. Singer/guitarist Benson formed Asleep at the Wheel in 1970, along with longtime friend Lucky Oceans and Leroy Preston. Praise from Van Morrison helped them land a record deal with United Artists, which released their debut album, Comin’ Right at Ya, in 1973. In 1974, their self-titled album appeared, and their cover of Louis Jordan’s “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” became their first single to hit the country charts. 1975’s Texas Gold was their breakthrough album, climbing into the country Top Ten and producing their only Top Ten hit on the country singles charts, “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read.” They turned out a string of excellent albums over the rest of the decade. Asleep at the Wheel 10, in 1987, brought them back to the Top 20 for the first time in over a decade. Additionally, the album’s “String of Pars” won them their second Grammy for Best Country Instrumental. The 1988 follow-up, Western Standard Time, continued their momentum, winning another Best Country Instrumental Grammy. In 1990, Asleep at the Wheel recorded Keepin’ Me Up Nights. Then they issued the acclaimed, guest-laden A Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1993. Their next major studio project, Ride with Bob, was the group’s second explicit tribute to Bob Wills, and it attracted even more positive attention than the first. In 2010, they released It’s a Good Day. With the help of Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker and Shirley Collie, Willie Nelson and Friends arrived in 2015. Asleep at the Wheel is on point and continues to tour the globe.
