Tex, in 1977, in Vermont of all places, I joined a band that played western swing including a whole lot of Asleep at the Wheel covers. We were pretty popular in the North Country (upstate NY, VT, NH). One time several of us went to see the Wheel play in Burlington and after the show we ended up at the same restaurant. We were talking to Lucky Oceans (the pedal steel player) and told him we did covers of their stuff and he was shocked: "I didn't know
anyone covered our stuff!" I'm a total fool for western swing.
And Bob Wills is still the King.
And Merle's Strangers were one of the hottest groups of musicians ever put together.
This modern crap they're doing in Nashville, the Chesneys and all, isn't even C&W. Don't get me started on that....