My guests on the podcast today are Dale Watson and Ray Benson, two titans of Texas music. They dropped by the studio to talk about the fourth annual Ameripolitan Awards, which they will co-host on Wednesday (Feb. 15) at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas
What's Ameripolitan? A genre that includes the Western Swing, Honky-Tonk, Rockabilly and Outlaw — basically the traditional country roots that have been pushed out of the mainstream format. Watson coined the name of the genre a number of years ago. After Blake Shelton infamously called classic country fans "old farts and jackasses," Watson clapped back and created The Ameripolitan Awards, a fan-voted show that honors the up-and-comers and living legends who keep the roots of country music alive. This year, music legend Jerry Lee Lewis and Junior Brown will receive special honors for their contributions to music.
Dale and Ray give the awards show a healthy dose of quick-witted humor. Get them in a room together, and they'll start cracking jokes within 10 seconds. That's approximately how long it took for them to get the laughs going in our conversation today.
If you love their style of humor and their music, be sure to check out their new brand new album Dale + Ray.
Click here to view this year's Ameripolitan Awards nominees.
