Happy 50th birthday to Ray Benson

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 15 Mar 2001 7:43 pm

It's the truth when thay say Western Swing ain't dead it's Asleep at the Wheel.

To Ray and all the crew thank you for keeping western swing on the radar. Swing and old country music in general could have been long forgotten without the efforts of folks who went around the country to dig up 78's albums etc.

Here's hoping you keep swinging

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Bob Hayes · Post by **Bob Hayes** » 16 Mar 2001 4:39 am

Happy Birthday Ray..as the saying goes "Your not getting older .you're getting better. The OLD transplanted Tall Texan.(where did you move from..West Virginia??. You ARE MR WESTERN SWING...IKnow that there are others that keep it alive ..but YOU are the most prominent?? keep on pickin'
Bob

Bob Shilling · Post by **Bob Shilling** » 16 Mar 2001 8:16 am

I think Ray, and his first steeler, Lucky Ocean grew up together in Philadelphia. Happy birthday Ray!

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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 16 Mar 2001 8:32 am

Ray's younger than me? Yikes!!

Happy birthday, Ray.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 18 Mar 2001 4:26 pm

yes from northern West Virginia,a place called PawPaw WV..50 surprises me too.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Mar 2001 7:33 pm

Bob is correct. Ray Siefert (aka "Ray Benson") and Reuben Gosfield (aka "Lucky Oceans") both grew up near my neighborhood in Philadelphia. In fact, their parents and siblings still live here. But they moved the band to West Virginia early on, in the 70s, and from there eventually to Texas.

Sure, Asleep at the Wheel is helping to keep western swing alive in the USA, but who's keepin' in alive back home in Philadelphia, huh?

We are!

www.beatswalkin.com

Neil Hilton · Post by **Neil Hilton** » 19 Mar 2001 8:11 am

and you always know you're in the midst of a great break when Ray baritones the smooth spoken line in the middle of a tune.... "Cindyyyyy"!