When Ray Benson (born 16 March 1951) set out 30 years ago to preserve, play and perpetuate the western swing music that Bob Wills had pioneered, the idea that Benson and his group, Asleep At the Wheel, would actually remain a viable touring and recording outfit for longer than Wills' own Texas Playboys was quite unthinkable. A group that has made a speciality of recreating some of the best of Texas swing music, at their most incandescent, Asleep At The Wheel capture the nostalgic age that has for ever moulded the Texas tunesmiths. They do not attempt to lay anything new on the listener, but have an energetic, refreshing approach to music-making, with their roots in the Western Swing style of the 1930s and 1940s, albeit with modern refinements. The band has undergone more than 80 personnel changes through almost two dozen albums on just about as many different record labels, but tall, gangling Benson has stood resolutely at the helm, guiding the band through six Grammys, a roomful of gold albums and other numerous awards.

The concept of a swing band was formulated on Benson's rent-free 1,500-acre farm near Paw Paw, West Virginia in the early months of 1970. Along with Leroy Preston (vocals, guitar) and pedal steel guitarist Reuben Gosfield, (often called 'Lucky Oceans'), he formed a small country combo. With various changes the band took shape when female vocalist Chris O'Connell, just out of high school, joined. Following a move to San Francisco, the band were joined by pianist Floyd Domino, who brought a jazz-swing influence into play. Their affection for Western Swing music was unquestionably sincere, and that's why it sounded so true when they played it. They even got Bob Wills' final producer, Tommy Allsup, to produce the first Asleep At The Wheel album, Comin' Right At Ya, in 1973. Since that inauspicious debut, Asleep At The Wheel have been able to keep a lot of that great western swing music alive and vibrant.

Subsequent albums for Epic, Capitol, Arista and MCA saw the band employing more diverse material, linking country, R’n’B and jazz in best western swing tradition, often employing contributions by guesting ex-Texas Playboy Johnny Gimble. They won their first Grammy in 1978 for their version of Count Basie's One O'Clock Jump, and in 1980 appeared on the soundtrack of the film Roadie. That same year, the band began to face problems. Lucky Oceans left, record sales plummeted and the band found themselves heavily in debt. Chris O'Connell left to have a baby in 1985. It looked like the end of the line, but, against the odds, Benson kept it all going. They were signed to Epic Records and won back-to-back Grammys in 1988 and 1989 for String Of Pars and Sugarfoot Rag. The following year they joined Arista and released their memorable Keepin' Me Up Nights album, which included the original version of Boot Scootin’ Boogie, later a massive line-dance hit for Brooks & Dunn.

A move over to Liberty was followed by the recording of the multi-artist Tribute To The Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys album in 1993. The band was joined by such current country names as Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, George Strait, Merle Haggard and Brooks & Dunn. Masterminded by Benson, it was something of a crowning glory. His original idea was to record a four-volume set, but that wasn't in the record company’s plans. Typically, though, he didn’t give up. Six years later he produced Ride With Bob, featuring his acclaimed swing band along with a guest list that included Steve Wariner, Vince Gill, The Dixie Chicks, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Dwight Yoakam and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, all paying tribute to the Bob Wills legend. The album won two more Grammys - Country Instrumental Performance for Bob's Breakdown; plus the Best Packaging award.

Care and attention to detail is Asleep At The Wheel's forte, and the band members are like a select academy of fine artists, each furthering his own skills and producing a recognisable school of art. Along the way, they have successfully rekindled interest in the music and recordings of Bob Wills, leader of the finest western swing band ever to grace country music, and the originator of the style.