For more than 50 years, Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson has been traversing the globe as an ambassador of Western swing music and introducing its irresistible sound to generation after generation. Along the way, the band has released more than 30 albums, racked up 10 Grammy Awards and traveled literally millions of miles on the road. More than 100 musicians have passed through the Wheel, but Benson remains the front man and the keeper of the vision. Asleep at the Wheel is an important cornerstone of American roots music, even though some of its members and audience represent a new generation. That far-reaching appeal is a testament to Benson's initial vision. On the group's latest release, 2021's “Half a Hundred Years”, three original members—Chris O'Connell, Leroy Preston and Lucky Oceans—returned after 40 years to lend their voices and musicianship to the album, which also features Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, George Strait, Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson