On Oct. 8, Asleep at the Wheel will join the West Texas Symphony live in concert at the world-class Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
Asleep at the Wheel is scheduled to join the West Texas Symphony at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8.
Tickets for Asleep at the Wheel range from $32 to $52, students are $8. Call 800-514-3849 or may be purchased online at WTXS.ORG.
A valued partnership, this is the third time the symphony will welcome the Texas legends to the stage. Both groups are celebrating milestone anniversaries – the symphony 60 years and Asleep at the Wheel 50 years. The symphony will accompany the band to perform many of their top hits.
Fifty years ago, Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson wrote in his journal that he wanted to form a band to bring the roots of American pop music into the present. It seemed like an ambitious goal for a 19-year-old, yet Benson has done exactly that – traversing the globe as an ambassador of Western swing music and introducing its irresistible sound to generation after generation. Although the lineup has changed countless times since its inception, Benson’s mission has never wavered.
“I’m the reason it’s still together, but the reason it’s popular is because we’ve had the greatest singers and players,” Benson stated in the press release. “When someone joins the band, I say, ‘Learn everything that’s ever been done, then put your own stamp on it.’ I love to hear how they interpret what we do. I’m just a singer and a songwriter, and a pretty good guitar player, but my best talent is convincing people to jump on board and play this music.”
Asleep at the Wheel has received 10 Grammy Awards and represents an important cornerstone of American roots music. Even though some of its members and audiences represent a new generation, the far-reaching appeal remains a testament to Benson’s initial vision.
“How do you keep this music going?” Benson stated in the press release. “Well, you’ve got to have some young people. If young people aren’t doing this, then we’re just a museum – and I don’t want to be a museum.”
The West Texas Symphony is ranked by the League of American Orchestras as a metropolitan orchestra, and proudly holds the distinction of being one of the largest professional performing arts organizations in West Texas.
