Asleep At The Wheel is a western swing band which has won nine
grammies, and has been active since
1970. They began in
West Virginia and on their first big show, they opened for
Hot Tuna and
Alice Cooper in
Washington DC. Three years later, at the request of
Doug Sahm and
Willie Nelson, the band moved to house their headquarters in
Austin, Texas which is still their home base today. They have performed on the television series
Austin City Limits a record ten times. In 1977 they were voted as best
Country and Western band by
Rolling Stone. They have toured with
Bob Dylan and appeared in a film with
Meat Loaf called
Roadies and have shared stages with
Vince Gill,
Dolly Parton and
Emmylou Harris.
Over the years, members of the band have been many. Presently their roster includes Ray Benson, Jason Roberts, David Sanger, David Miller, John Whitby, Haydn Vitera, and Eddie Rivers. Though the names have changed, the band has consistently been one of the most entertaining, feel-good party bands ever to grace
concert arenas and
opera houses. Some of the songs they're best known for include
One O’Clock Jump,
The Letter That Johnny Walker Read, and
Choo Choo Ch’Boogie.