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June 29, 2001/Tamuz 8, 5761, Vol. 53, No.39
Western swing's the thing
Asleep at the Wheel's Jewish frontman, Ray Benson, keeps country genre alive
MICHAEL SUDHALTER
Kansas City Jewish Chronicle
Bar Mitzvahs and Grand Ole Opry performances aren't a likely combination for most people, but Asleep at the Wheel leader Ray Benson has been fortunate enough to experience both rites of passage in his lifetime.
Performing at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry is the validation of a country-western entertainer's success.
Benson, a singer, songwriter and guitarist, has come to be known as the king of modern-day Western swing.
Benson was not the most likely person to become a country music star. A native of the Philadelphia suburb of Springfield, Pa., he enjoyed a broad musical background during his youth.
Benson began playing music professionally at the age of 11, but his parents did not think he should make a career out of it. He attended Antioch College in Ohio to try his hand at filmmaking and eventually moved to New York City to pursue that career.
However, unhappy with his career choice, Benson decided to go back to his musical roots. He played many different styles of music, including country, rock and jazz. Benson said he decided on country music because of his love for the Western swing sub-genre. He formed Asleep at the Wheel in 1969 and has been its frontman ever since, distinguishing their 23 record albums with his baritone voice and their shows with his stage presence - he stands nearly 7 feet tall, if you count his trademark cowboy hat.
"Making it in country music was a long shot, to say the least," Benson said in a recent telephone interview.
"It has turned out great, though, and it has been a great ride."
Though Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys released their classic album "Sold American" in 1973, and while there are still Jewish songwriters and record company professionals in country music, Benson may be the only well known Jewish performer in country music today. Benson said many people don't know he's Jewish and that he has encountered some anti-Semitism over the years.
"Country music was the domain of Southern, Christian, rural people, and for many of them it is foreign territory," Benson said. "The greatest thing I can do is put a name and face on a Jewish person so people won't resort to keeping stereotypes."
The Austin, Texas-based Benson attends Congregation Kol Haleb, a non-traditional Jewish congregation in the state's capital city, which is also known as an alternative-country-music mecca.
Benson's ability to maintain a career in country music for more than 30 years can be attributed to his dedication to Western swing. While the Wheel wasn't originally a Western swing band, it has developed a reputation for keeping alive a genre of music that reached the height of its popularity in the 1930s and '40s. In addition to Bob Wills, Benson cites Count Basie, Willie Nelson and Louis Jordan among his many influences.
"Western swing was part of the roots music that we played," Benson said. "We enjoyed playing it, the audience liked it and the media found it to be different and well-received."
Four years after starting the band, in 1973, Benson was ecstatic to hear Asleep at the Wheel's recording of the Bob Wills song "Take Me Back to Tulsa" on the radio. Along with performing at the Grand Ole Opry, Benson said, hearing that song on the radio for the first time was probably the biggest thrill of his career.
Benson said he believes his band's music has been able to bridge the generation gap.
"When I was growing up, there was a great generation gap, and kids didn't like the same type of music that their parents did," Benson said. "I'm trying to bring some of those people back to the music that they didn't think was cool before."
Benson is so well respected in the industry that he attracts some of Nashville's top hitmakers to make guest appearances on his records. For example, in 1999 Asleep at the Wheel performed with a variety of artists, including Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard and Tim McGraw, on its "Ride With Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills" album.
Asleep at the Wheel continues to play Western swing music for audiences that range in size from small nightclub crowds to those that fill stadiums. Benson said the shows he'll do on the George Strait stadium tour are much different than ones he would do in a club. For one thing, the band plays just 30 minutes as opener of a multi-act, stadium show.
"Playing a small venue is like catching a trout, while playing in front of a stadium crowd is like catching a whale," Benson said, adding "We don't get to play a lot of slow songs at the stadium shows."
Benson said the future looks bright for Asleep at the Wheel and Western swing.
"We had our best year last year, and our band will be going onward and upward," Benson said. "Western swing is here to stay. It will never be a craze, but it will always be a part of country music."
Details
What: Asleep at the Wheel
When: 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Monday, July 16
Where: Casino Arizona, 101 Freeway and McKellips Road
Cost: $12.50
Call: 480-850-7734
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