Photo by Nathan Edge
Ray Benson is 72 years old today.
The front man of the Western swing band, Asleep at the Wheel, Benson is a native of Philadelphia. He formed Asleep at the Wheel with friends, Lucky Oceans and Leroy Preston. The group relocated to Austin in 1973 after a suggestion from Willie Nelson.
Since then, the group has released more than 20 albums. Though the band's lineup has changed greatly over the years (about 90 people have been part of Asleep at the Wheel at some point), Benson has always remained at the helm as the band's driving force.
In addition to his work with Asleep at the Wheel, Benson is also an accomplished producer whose credits include albums by Dale Watson, Suzy Bogguss, Aaron Watson, James Hand and Carolyn Wonderland. He also produced single tracks for Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Brad Paisley, Pam Tillis, Trace Adkins, Merle Haggard and Vince Gill.
In 2003, Benson released his first solo album, Beyond Time.
He is also a founding member of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, which raises money to help aging R&B artists, and a member of the board of directors of the SIMS Foundation, which provides low-cost mental health services to Austin musicians and their families.
Benson is also a trustee for the Texas chapter of NARAS, a board member of St Davids Community Health Foundation and a board member and founding member of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).
Benson is the host of the Texas Music Scene TV show. In an interview, Benson said that when he was on the board of directors for Austin City Limits, he urged them to start a spin-off show that focused on Texas bands because Austin City Limits had grown beyond its original scope to become an international show.
Benson is 6 feet, 7 inches tall with size 16 EEE feet.
Here, Ray Benson joins Brad Paisley to perform “Miles and Miles of Texas”