Austin’s music scene has no shortage of big personalities, but few come with the kind of legend status that Ray Benson does — and there are plenty of reasons to celebrate him right now.
Austin icon Ray Benson turns 75, celebrates 50-plus years of music and giving back to ATX
Benson, an Austin icon and longtime musician and frontman for the band Alseep at the Wheel, is marking a 75th birthday along with more than 50 years in the music industry. He stopped by “We Are Austin” to talk about his career, what makes Austin such a meaningful home for his music, and the annual birthday bash that’s become one of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians’ biggest fundraisers.
Ray Benson stopped by “We Are Austin” to talk about his career, what makes Austin such a meaningful home for his music, and the annual birthday bash that’s become one of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians’ biggest fundraisers.
During the conversation, Benson was set to reflect on his “legendary music career” and share some of his favorite memories from decades on the road and onstage.
“Well, I was a kid performer, so I started playing guitar when I was nine, “said Benson, “I grew up in Pennsylvania, and my sister and I had a group, and this was 1961-62. We sang folk music back then; it was a big deal, and, in 1962, in a little group, “The Four Gs,” there were four of us, my sister and two neighbors, and we sang with the Philadelphia Orchestra. We sang ‘This Land Is Your Land’ and, so I had the bug. My parents and everybody else in my family has a postgraduate degree; I’m just the musician of the bunch.”
He also discussed why Austin has been a special place for him and his music over the years, especially for his band, “Asleep at the Wheel,” which was featured on the very first episode of the then-new PBS show “Austin City Limits.”
“Yeah, we did the first. Well, Willie did the pilot, and then in ’75 we did the first regularly scheduled episode. I think I’ve done 13 of them.”
Ray Benson stopped by “We Are Austin” to talk about his career, what makes Austin such a meaningful home for his music, and the annual birthday bash that’s become one of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians’ biggest fundraisers.
A major focus of the visit was his birthday bash and its connection to HAAM, including what makes the night so special for him and for the musicians who take part. The discussion also highlighted why health care support is critical for musicians in Austin — and what guests can expect to experience at the event.
And it was the beginning of a long relationship with the Austin community.
“This town has always supported creative people. All creatives. Whether it’s film, music, writing, literature, etc., that’s what this town’s all about. And, it was so inviting. It helped him that my good buddy, Willie Nelson, said ‘You ought to move here!’ I mean. Well, he said so. How do you say no?”
Ray Benson Bday M a t c h l e s s E x p o s u r e_Feddersen
Benson also addressed a notable milestone: this will be his last birthday bash with HAAM, closing out a run that has grown into a major fundraiser for the organization.
“Well, it started out as, even before I was with HAAM, it started out, and someone said, ‘What do you want for your birthday?’ I said, I love to play music with, you know, I like jam. I like to play music. And so that’s where it all started. And I would invite various musicians, and it just coincided with the fact that my birthday is March 16th, and that was during South by Southwest. And I would have done it if my birthday wasn’t during South by Southwest, but all of a sudden, we would do it, and people would just come, and I got a lot of friends in the business, and all of a sudden, it became a little bigger than I ever thought.”
Combining the bash with a way to help keep local musicians healthy became a no-brainer.
“We helped start the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, seeing the need. So it seemed like a very symbiotic thing to do. Most musicians don’t have a corporate job where they have insurance and such. And until the Affordable Care Act, there was really no way for musicians to get it. All we would do is if somebody got sick, and we’d do a benefit, and somebody would need health care, and we’d try to find a doctor who would do pro bono work or something. So we figured it’s time to do something that was a little more substantial. And the support we got from Saint David’s Foundation and Seton was incredible. And that’s how it morphed into what it is today. But that’s basically the story. It’s hard enough to be a musician or an actor in this town.”
Austin icon Ray Benson turns 75, celebrates 50-plus years of music and giving back to ATX