Live From The Divide welcomes Ray Benson for inaugural Storyteller Series performance

LIVINGSTON — For more than five decades, Ray Benson has helped shape the sound of Western swing and American roots music.

As the longtime frontman of the Grammy Award-winning band Asleep at the Wheel, Benson has spent 55 years leading one of the genre's most influential bands while building an extraordinary career as a performer, producer, songwriter and broadcaster. On Friday, July 24, he will bring that remarkable career to Livingston as the inaugural guest in Live From The Divide's new Storyteller Series.

Benson co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in 1970 before relocating the band to Austin four years later, where it became one of the defining voices of modern Western swing. Along the way, he has been named the official Texas State Musician, received the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, produced records for artists including Willie Nelson, George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill, Dwight Yoakam, The Avett Brothers and Suzy Bogguss, and continues to tour more than 100 dates each year.

While every Live From The Divide performance is built around the connection between artist and audience, the Storyteller Series intentionally makes conversation part of the evening itself. Rather than following a prescribed format, each artist shapes the experience in their own way, weaving stories throughout the performance to create an evening that reflects their personality, experiences and creative journey.

"If you're anything like me, you love live music," said Jason Wickens, founder and executive director of Live From The Divide. "But every once in a while, you crave something deeper than the performance itself. You want to understand where the songs came from. You want to hear about the life that shaped them. The Storyteller Series was created for those moments."

Benson opens the Storyteller Series on July 24, with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Suzy Bogguss scheduled to continue the series on Friday, Aug. 7. Each performance is designed around the individual artist, making every evening a unique experience.

Storyteller Series: Ray Benson begins at 8 p.m. Friday, July 24, at Live From The Divide inside the Empire Twin Theatre, 106 N. Second St., Livingston. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100 for premium seating and $80 for general admission. Tickets are available at livefromthedivide.com/events/storyteller-series-ray-benson-jul-24.

For nearly two decades, Live From The Divide has created intimate listening-room experiences that foster meaningful connections between artists and audiences. Since relocating to the historic Empire Twin Theatre in Livingston in early 2026, the Montana-based organization has expanded its programming while remaining committed to thoughtful curation, attentive listening and unforgettable live music experiences.