Ray Benson, longtime leader of the Western swing group Asleep at the Wheel, in concert at the Palace Theatre in Corsicana, Texas, on Dec. 9, 2022. He says he steers clear of politics on stage because "now it's totally toxic." Ben Torres for NPR hide caption
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep At The Wheel performs during a live taping of Mountain Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sun., Oct. 24, 2021. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/NPR hide caption
Asleep At The Wheel on Mountain Stage
Alejandro Escovedo Nancy Escovedo/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Ray Benson (center) and his band, the Grammy-winning country outfit Asleep at the Wheel, have long been stewards of the sound co-pioneered by Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. Lisa Pollard/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Asleep At The Wheel. Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage hide caption