Michael Hepworth<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n www.perfectmealtoday.com<\/a>, www.spiritsman.com, <\/a>www.perfectskintoday.com<\/a>, www.perfecttraveltoday.com, <\/a> www.perfectmealtoday.com<\/a>, www.perfectmusictoday.com<\/a>, www.perfectgolftoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n HOLLYWOOD (Perfect Music Today) 2\/9\/20\/–The tenth annual Feed The Peace Award dinner event in Austin is set for Sunday, February 23 at the Four Seasons Hotel with Asleep at the Wheel\u2019s Ray Benson named recipient of The Nobelity Project\u2019s highest honor.\u00a0 The fundraising dinner at which Benson will be f\u00eated coincides with the ongoing 50th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary celebration of the band\u2019s founding and is offered in tribute to Benson\u2019s support for the foundation\u2019s critical work in building stronger communities through increasing access to education, improved quality of learning, expanding opportunity and creating connections to the world we share. With the motto \u201clocal acts have global impacts,\u201d Nobelity has been active in its Austin base as well as in Kenya, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere.<\/p>\n Benson has attended just about all of the previous Feed The Peace Award dinners, including the initial one honoring Willie Nelson who coined the phrase \u201cfeed the peace.\u201d Other FTP Award recipients have included Kris Kristofferson, Little Steven Van Zandt, Ben Harper, Dan Rather, Delbert McClinton and Jerry Jeff Walker.\u00a0 This year Ray will, in essence, sing for his supper as Asleep at the Wheel is set to perform as well as\u00a0Kat Edmonson, Joe Ely and Marcia Ball.\u00a0 Notes Turk Pipkin, Nobelity Project\u2019s founder, \u201cThe award goes to Ray in recognition of his 50 amazing years with Asleep at the Wheel, and for his long and consistent dedication to issues that matter and nonprofits that do great work.\u201d<\/p>\n Ray Benson commented on his having been named recipient of the Feed The Peace Award, \u201cI am very humbled to receive this honor!\u00a0\u00a0Having known Turk and been aware of his journey over the course of the past 45 years I understand how heartfelt this cause is.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ve attended most of the earlier FTP dinners and played at quite a number of them so I know it\u2019s going to be a great night for a great cause.\u201d<\/p>\n Tickets for the event are available through:\u00a0www.nobelity.org\/2020-feed-the-peace-awards<\/a><\/p>\n It was also revealed this week that Asleep at the Wheel, with the aforementioned honoree calling the shots, will be performing a webcast set on Live From Paste Studio ATL on Thursday, February 13 at 1:30 PM\/Eastern.\u00a0\u00a0Click here to view when that time comes or now to set a reminder:\u00a0www.pastemagazine.com\/articles\/JTxrEYgWp_U.html<\/a><\/p>\n This year marks the 50th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary of Asleep at the Wheel\u2019s founding in a cabin on an apple orchard in Paw Paw, West Virginia. Long a fixture on the Austin music scene, the band still led by Ray Benson, is planning a series of events and releases over the course of the coming year to commemorate the milestone. \u00a0Members of the band\u2019s original line up – Lucky Oceans, Leroy Preston, Chris O\u2019Connell, Floyd Domino and the eternal Benson \u2013 will soon announce a series of Fall 2020 reunion shows in Austin, Nashville, San Francisco and more. It was Lucky Oceans who, after a trip to the outhouse in Paw Paw, came up with the band\u2019s name that would stand them in good stead and become a household name in Americana\/Roots circles for the next five decades.\u00a0 That was, of course, many years before the term \u201cAmericana\u201d had even been used to describe a musical movement which AATW spearheaded.<\/p>\n Benson commented, \u201cIt\u2019s been an amazing journey and I\u2019m extremely proud to be celebrating 50 years of Asleep at the Wheel! Through all the highs and lows, to still be standing and doing better than ever gives me a great sense of pride. To all the folks who have played with and or worked for the band, and given their time and talents, I can\u2019t thank y\u2019all enough. And to the fans who keep us going, THANK YOU. We wouldn\u2019t have made it 50 years without ya! We\u2019re hoping to see everyone who has made 50 years of AATW possible during our golden anniversary year.\u201d<\/p>\n The band\u2019s first gig as Asleep at the Wheel was as an opener on an improbable concert bill in Washington, DC with Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna.\u00a0 George Frayne, a\/k\/a Commander Cody of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, suggested AATW relocate to San Francisco Bay area and so they did.\u00a0 Van Morrison caught them there and mentioned them in a Rolling Stone interview which opened the door to a record contract. They were signed to United Artists and released\u00a0Comin\u2019 Right At Ya<\/em>, their album debut, in 1973. Their next move was to Austin, Texas, at the suggestion of Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm, where the band would help start the\u00a0Cosmic Cowboy\u00a0<\/em>scene and tape the first episode of\u00a0Austin City Limits<\/em>. Next year they will have come full circle with the Fall release of an AATW reunion album, produced by Buddy Miller, to be titled\u00a0Still Comin\u2019 Right At Ya,\u00a0<\/em>their 32nd<\/sup>\u00a0career album.\u00a0 Asleep at the Wheel has earned 10 GRAMMY\u00ae Awards, ACM Touring Band of the Year and received the Americana Music Association\u2019s Lifetime Achievement Award.<\/p>\n A revolving cast of topflight musicians has powered AATW over the past half century with the band\u2019s alumni now numbering over 100. These include players who have gone on to work with such notables as Bob Dylan, George Strait, Van Morrison, Lyle Lovett and Merle Haggard.\u00a0 From inception, the band has been modeled and inspired by the eclectic Western swing format pioneered by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys.\u00a0 They have released three Bob Wills tribute albums,\u00a0A Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills<\/em>,\u00a0Ride with Bob<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Still the King<\/em>\u00a0and Benson\u2019s authoritative commentary on Wills and Western swing was a key component of the Ken Burns PBS\u00a0Country Music<\/em>\u00a0series. It\u2019s noteworthy that, as of now, Asleep At The Wheel has actually been active eleven years longer than Wills & His Texas Playboys.<\/p>\n The AATW 50th celebration is being filmed with a resulting documentary to be released at a later date. A trailer for the film, including commentary from Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Vince Gill, George Strait and Commander Cody can be viewed now:\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=z76Y7QrXrQc&feature=emb_logo<\/a><\/p>\n Looking back over the past 50 years, Ray Benson remarked,\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been told that I’m relentless, so I guess I am…. I\u2019m just doing what I believe I\u2019m meant to do. My role and concept of leading a band has never changed; it\u2019s gathering the best musicians I can find or convince to play to the best of their ability. I just try and make the best decisions possible and kick some ass every night onstage. I\u2019ve made it this far and don\u2019t feel like I or the band will be slowing down anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Asleep at the Wheel on tour<\/u><\/p>\n Feb 5 – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – \u00a0Ponte Vedra Concert Hall<\/p>\n Feb – Homestead, FL – Seminole Theatre<\/p>\n Feb 7 – Sanibel, FL – \u00a0Christensen Performing Arts Hall<\/p>\n Feb 9 – Weirsdale, FL – Orange Blossom Opry (2:30 PM)<\/p>\n Feb 9 – Weirsdale, FL \u00a0– Orange Blossom Opry (7:30 PM)<\/p>\n Feb 12 – Huntsville, AL – \u00a0Mars Music Hall<\/p>\n Feb 13 – Atlanta, GA –\u00a0\u00a0Live At Paste Studio ATL<\/p>\n Feb 13 – Atlanta, GA – \u00a0City Winery<\/p>\n Feb 14 – Montgomery, AL – \u00a0Montgomery Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n Feb 15 – Abingdon, VA – \u00a0Barter Theatre<\/p>\n Feb 23 – Austin, TX – Feed The Peace Awards, Four Seasons Hotel<\/p>\n Feb 29- Fredericksburg, TX – \u00a0Luckenbach Texas<\/p>\n Mar 6 – Mt. Pleasant, TX – The Whatley Center<\/p>\n Mar 7 –\u00a0Eureka Springs, AR -The Auditorium<\/p>\n Mar 14 –\u00a0\u00a0Goliad, TX –\u00a0\u00a0Schroeder Hall<\/p>\n Mar 22 – College Station, TX – Rudder Auditorium<\/p>\n Mar 28 – Richardson, TX – Charles W. Eisemann Center<\/p>\n Apr 3 – \u00a0New Braunfels, TX – \u00a0Gruene Hall<\/p>\n Apr 4 – New Braunfels, TX – \u00a0Gruene Hall<\/p>\n Apr 8 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere<\/p>\n Apr 9 – Uncasville, CT – \u00a0Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Resort<\/p>\n Apr 10 – Plymouth, NH – The Flying Monkey<\/p>\n Apr 11 – Fall River, MA – Narrows Center For the Arts<\/p>\n Apr 14 -Buffalo, NY – Sportsmen\u2019s Tavern<\/p>\n Apr 15 – Homer, NY – Center For the Arts of Homer<\/p>\n Apr 16 – Natick, MA – \u00a0Center For the Arts In Natick<\/p>\n Apr 17 – Newton, NJ – The Newton Theatre<\/p>\n Apr 24 – Saint Louis, MO – Sheldon Concert Hall<\/p>\n Apr 26 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival<\/p>\n Apr 30 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House<\/p>\n May 1 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House<\/p>\n May 2 – Hopkins, MN – \u00a0Hopkins Center For the Arts<\/p>\n May 3 – Wittenberg, WI – Wittenberg-Birnamwood HS Auditorium<\/p>\n May 29 –\u00a0Suffolk, UK –\u00a0Red Rooster Festival, Euston Hall<\/p>\n June 12 – Scottsdale, AZ – Talking Stick Resort<\/p>\n June 26 – Muncie, IN – \u00a0Muncie Three Trails Music Series<\/p>\n June 27 – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n July 10 \u00a0– Mount Solon, VA – Red Wing Roots Music Festival<\/p>\n July 12\u00a0–\u00a0Greenfield, MA –\u00a0\u00a0Green River Festival<\/p>\n Sept 6 – Bay Harbor, MI – Great Lakes Center for the Arts<\/p>\n Sept 11- Fort Worth, TX – Bass Performance Hall<\/p>\n Sept 12 – Fort Worth, TX – Bass Performance Hall<\/p>\n Sept 13 – Fort Worth, TX – Bass Performance Hall<\/p>\n Nov 20\u00a0–\u00a0\u00a0Wichita, KS\u00a0–\u00a0Cotillion Ballroom<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Michael Hepworth<\/p>\n 287 S.Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211<\/p>\n www.perfectmealtoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n perfectmealtoday@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/twitter.com\/MrSpiritsman<\/a><\/p>\n www.spiritsman.com<\/a><\/p>\n mrspiritsman@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n www.perfectskintoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n perfectskintoday@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n www.perfecttraveltoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n perfecttraveltoday@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n www.perfectmealtoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n perfectmealtoday@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n www.perfectgolftoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n perfectgolftoday@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n www.perfectmusictoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n perfectmusictoday@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n![\"tn-10\"](\"http:\/\/perfectmusictoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/1.png\")
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ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL\u2019S RAY BENSON TO RECEIVE FEED THE PEACE AWARD ON FEBRUARY 23<\/strong><\/p>\n AATW PERFORMING LIVE FROM PASTE STUDIO ATL TEN DAYS BEFORE AS 50TH<\/sup>\u00a0ANNIVERSARY YEAR UNFOLDS<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n