Asleep at the Wheel

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Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel 15April2008.jpg
Asleep at the Wheel performing in San Diego, California
Background information
Origin Paw Paw, West Virginia, U.S.
Genres
Years active1970–present
Labels
Members
  • Ray Benson
  • Jason Baczyński
  • Dennis Ludiker
  • Connor Forsyth
  • Josh Hoag
  • Flavio Pasquetto
  • Joey Colarusso
Past members
Website www.asleepatthewheel.com

Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western Swing music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia in 1970, [4] and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards, released over twenty albums, and has charted more than 21 singles on the Billboard country charts. Their highest-charting single, "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read", peaked at No. 10 in 1975.

Contents

History

Beginnings to Austin

In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, D.C. [4] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California, at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. [5] After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. [5] [6] In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right at Ya , was released by United Artists. At the invitation of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974. [4]

1974–1979

In 1974, Asleep at the Wheel released its self-titled second album, with a cover of Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", which was the band's first single to hit the country charts. The following year had the release of Texas Gold , with the top-ten Country hit single "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read". In addition, they played on PBS's Austin City Limits , where they have since performed a record-setting 10 times. [4] In 1977, the band was voted Best Country Western Band by Rolling Stone and was awarded the Touring Band of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. They also went on tour with Emmylou Harris in Europe. [4] The following year, they recorded a cover of Count Basie's song "One O'Clock Jump". [5] Also in 1980, they appeared in the movie Roadie , along with Meat Loaf, Blondie, and Art Carney. By the end of the decade, the band recorded their first live album, Served Live, at the Austin Opera House. [4]

1980–1989

The 1980s became a turbulent decade for the band. After moving to MCA, co-founder Lucky Oceans left, followed in September 1986 by Chris O'Connell due to her pregnancy. Asleep at the Wheel gathered a large amount of debt that required it to work on commercials and movie soundtracks. This band produced the soundtrack for the film Liar's Moon .

In 1985, the band released a virtually ignored self-titled album. [5] By the late 1980s, Ray Benson had done some producing, allowing the band a second chance with Epic Records. In 1987, the band released 10, which won them their second Grammy for Best Country Instrumental, helping to launch their comeback. The album also had contributions from legendary fiddle player and onetime Texas Playboys member Johnny Gimble. [5] The following year, the band released Western Standard Time, which won them another Grammy for Best Country Instrumental. [5] The late 1980s also had the growth of Jann Browne as a solo vocalist in the group; she would later embark on a solo career on Curb Records. [7]

1990–1999

The band moved to Arista Records and released the album, Keepin' Me Up Nights. Soon after, the band had turnover. Among its new members was former solo singer Rosie Flores, who joined in 1997. [8] In 1991, Ray Benson directed the music [4] and co-starred in the movie Wild Texas Wind with Dolly Parton. [9] In honor of the 66th anniversary of Route 66, the band launched the Route 66 Tour. [4] In 1993, the band released an instant hit with several guest musicians, [4] A Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, to much critical acclaim. [5] Two years later, the band celebrated their 25th anniversary [4] by releasing The Wheel Keeps on Rollin. [5] In 1999, the band and DreamWorks released Ride with Bob, as their second tribute album to Bob Wills. This album also enjoyed immediate success and garnered the band two Grammy wins, one for Best Country Instrumental, [4] and the other for Best Package Design.

According to Rolling Stone magazine, Ray Benson "didn't just enlist the obvious Wills fans" in this tribute album to Bob Wills like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Lyle Lovett. He also brought in some of country's young lions the Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, and Lee Ann Womack, some pop stars", including Shawn Colvin, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and fellow country preservationists such as Dwight Yoakam. [10]

2000–present

In 2000, the Dixie Chicks were nominated for an award for Vocal Event of the Year for "Roly Poly" with Asleep at the Wheel from the Country Music Association. [11] That same year, the band toured with Bob Dylan and George Strait. Benson recorded a tribute to Wills and Texas swing music, including Dwight Yoakam, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, the Dixie Chicks, and Willie Nelson. [4] [12] They were scheduled to play at the White House on the fateful September 11, 2001. [4] In 2003, the band released Live at Billy Bob's Texas , and by the end of the decade, the band had released two more albums: Reinventing the Wheel, an entirely new set of songs, including a collaboration with The Blind Boys of Alabama, and a two-disc set Kings of Texas Swing. [13] In 2007, their second Christmas album was released, Santa Loves to Boogie.

Asleep at the Wheel received six Austin Music Awards for their efforts in 2007, including Band of the Year, Songwriter of the Year (Benson), Country Band of the Year, Record Producer of the Year (Benson), Male Vocals of the Year (Benson), and Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year (McQueen). [14]

In 2023, Katie Shore (vocals/fiddle) left the band for a solo career, but she still continues to sit in with the group on a semi-regular basis. [15]

Members

Current members

Discography

Awards and nominations

Asleep at the Wheel have won eight Grammy Awards out of 27 nominations. [16] They have also been nominated for 12 Country Music Association Awards. [17] In 1977, they won the Academy of Country Music Award for Touring Band of the Year and have been nominated an additional nine times. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Wills</span> American musician (1905–1975)

James Robert Wills was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing. He was also noted for punctuating his music with his trademark "ah-haa" calls.

"Remember the Alamo" is a song written by Texan folk singer and songwriter Jane Bowers. Bowers details the last days of 180 soldiers during the Battle of the Alamo and names several famous figures who fought at the Alamo, including Mexican general Santa Anna and Texans: Jim Bowie, William Barrett Travis and Davy Crockett. It champions the Texans' efforts against Mexico to establish an independent republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Benson</span> American singer-songwriter

Ray Benson Seifert is an American musician, actor and voice actor who is the frontman of the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Quebe Sisters</span> American swing revival band

The Quebe Sisters are an American swing revival band based in Dallas, Texas, who perform a mix of progressive western swing, jazz-influenced swing, country, Texas-style fiddling, and western music. The band consists of sisters Grace, Sophia, and Hulda Quebe, all of whom play the fiddle and sing, with supporting musicians accompanying on guitar, upright bass, or other instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Gimble</span> American country music fiddler (1926–2015)

John Paul Gimble was an American country musician associated with Western swing. Gimble was considered one of the most important fiddlers in the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 in the early influences category as a member of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Oceans</span> American-Australian guitarist and radio announcer

Lucky Oceans is an American pedal steel guitarist and a former member of country and Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. From 1995 to 2017 he was a broadcaster in Perth, Western Australia with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floyd Domino</span> American musician

Floyd Domino is an American musician known for his work in the genre of Western swing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Wills Is Still the King</span> 1975 song by Waylon Jennings

"Bob Wills Is Still the King" is a song written and performed by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, as a tribute of sorts to the Western swing icon Bob Wills.

<i>Comin Right at Ya</i> 1973 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Comin' Right at Ya is the debut album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Tommy Allsup at Mercury Custom Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in March 1973 as the group's only album on United Artists Records. The album features a variety of traditional and original compositions, including recordings of songs originally by Bob Wills, Hank Williams and Geoff Mack. Most of the original tracks on the album were written by drummer and vocalist LeRoy Preston.

<i>Wheelin and Dealin</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 1976 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Wheelin' and Dealin' is the fourth album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Tommy Allsup at Woodland Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, it was released in July 1976 as the group's second album on Capitol Records. It is the band's first album to feature a second fiddler, Bill Mabry, as well as saxophonist Link Davis Jr. The album was a commercial success, charting on the US Billboard 200 and reaching the top 20 of the Top Country Albums chart.

<i>Pasture Prime</i> 1985 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Pasture Prime is the eighth studio album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Produced by Ray Benson at Austin Recording and Bee Creek Studios in Austin, Texas, and by Benson and Willie Nelson at Pedernales Recording Studio in Briarcliff, Texas, it was released in April 1985 by Demon Music Group in the UK and Stony Plain Records in Canada. The album was later repackaged in the US with three fewer tracks and released under the title Asleep at the Wheel.

<i>Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys</i> 1993 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is the 12th studio album and first tribute album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at studios in Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on October 25, 1993, by Liberty Records. The collection features recordings of songs made popular by Western swing group Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, a major influence on Asleep at the Wheel.

<i>The Wheel Keeps on Rollin</i> 1995 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

The Wheel Keeps on Rollin' is the 13th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at studios in Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by Andy Byrd with the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on November 21, 1995, by Capitol Nashville. The album was produced to mark the 25th anniversary of the group's 1970 inception, and was its first collection of new original studio material since the release of Keepin' Me Up Nights in 1990.

<i>Merry Texas Christmas, Yall</i> 1997 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all is the 14th studio album and first Christmas album by American western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on September 30, 1997, by High Street Records. The album includes a mix of traditional and original songs, which feature guests including Willie Nelson, fiddler Johnny Gimble and former Asleep at the Wheel pianist Floyd Domino.

<i>Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys</i> 1999 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys is the 15th studio album and second tribute album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded between June 1998 and March 1999 at studios in Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on August 10, 1999, as the band's only album on DreamWorks Records. The album is another tribute to the music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

<i>The Very Best of Asleep at the Wheel</i> 2001 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

The Very Best of Asleep at the Wheel is the 16th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas and Bradley's Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on June 5, 2001, by Relentless Nashville, an imprint of Madacy Entertainment Group. The album was issued in the United Kingdom in 2003 by Evangeline Records under the title Take Me Back to Tulsa.

<i>Hang Up My Spurs</i> 2002 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Hang Up My Spurs is the 17th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded during 2001 at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released in January 2002 as one of the first albums on Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores' own label CB Music. Several songs on the album had been previously recorded by the band for earlier releases, while others are new compositions produced exclusively for the release.

<i>Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo</i> 2003 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo is the 18th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson and released on November 4, 2003 by Shout! Factory. The record is a loose concept album based on the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas in 1836, including several songs written by Paul Francis Webster and Dimitri Tiomkin for the 1960 film The Alamo.

<i>New Routes</i> (Asleep at the Wheel album) 2018 studio album by Asleep at the Wheel

New Routes is the 25th studio album by American country band Asleep at the Wheel. Recorded at Bismeaux Studios and Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas, it was produced by the band's frontman Ray Benson with manager and engineer Sam Seifert, and released on September 14, 2018 by Benson's own Bismeaux Productions with Thirty Tigers. It is the group's first album to feature original material since 2007's Reinventing the Wheel.

References

  1. 1 2 Cole, Christine (February 18, 2016). "Country/roots/rockabilly band Asleep at the Wheel plays concert in Clermont". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  2. ↑ Gesell, Carla E. (May 21, 1998). Godfrey, Donald G.; Leigh, Frederic A. (eds.). Historical Dictionary of American Radio. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 315–16. ISBN   9780313296369.
  3. ↑ "Asleep At The Wheel Celebrates 50 Years Of Western Swing". Texas Standard. June 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Asleep at the Wheel Official Site". Asleepatthewheel.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Allmusic – Asleep at the Wheel". AllMusic . Retrieved December 12, 2007.
  6. ↑ Grissim Jr., John (June 22, 1972). "Van Morrison: The Rolling Stone interview". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2009.
  7. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Jann Browne biography". AllMusic . Retrieved January 7, 2008.
  8. ↑ Tarradell, Mario (April 12, 1997). "Country singer Rosie Flores joins Asleep at the Wheel". Calhoun Times and Gordon County News. p. 17. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Wild Texas Wind". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 12, 2007.
  10. ↑ Archived December 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "Contact The Dixie Chicks (2021) [Email, Address, Agent, Manager & Publicist]". Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ Morning Edition (October 14, 1999). "Western Swing". NPR. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Kings of Texas Swing". Music.barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved December 12, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Austin Music Awards". Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
  15. ↑ Francis, Bob; Shore, Katie (January 26, 2024). "Fort Worth native musician Katie Shore goes solo, but finds lots of accompaniment". Fort Worth Report. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Asleep At The Wheel". Grammy.com. November 23, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  17. ↑ "CMA Awards Past Winners & Nominees". Cmaawards.com. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  18. ↑ [ dead link ]
Awards
Preceded by AMA Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing
2009		Not Yet Awarded
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