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Music

Ray Benson Keeps Western Swing Thriving With Asleep At The Wheel

KVPR | By Joe Moore
Published November 15, 2016 at 11:51 AM PST
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Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel perform in Bakersfield on Saturday
Asleep at the Wheel

Ray Benson is one of the greatest living practitioners of western swing - a mix of country, jazz and boogie-woogie that has delighted audience worldwide since the days of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. This weekend Benson brings his band to the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, a town that was home to two of his other musical heroes - Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Benson talked with us on Valley Edition about the legacy of Bob Wills and the lasting appeal of western swing. 

MusicBakersfieldbuck owenskern countyMerle HaggardThe Bakersfield Soundwestern swingAsleep At the Wheel
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Joe Moore
Joe Moore is the President and General Manager of KVPR / Valley Public Radio. He has led the station through major programming changes, the launch of KVPR Classical and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership the station was named California Non-Profit of the Year by Senator Melissa Hurtado (2019), and won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting (2022).
See stories by Joe Moore
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