American Music Icons Ray Benson And Dale Watson Announce Jan. 6 Release Date For Their First-Ever Duo Album

(Press Release) Texas music giants Ray Benson and Dale Watson join forces on their much-anticipated duo project  Dale & Ray, scheduled to release  Jan. 6 th on Ameripolitan/Home Records, distributed by Mailboat Records. The album will be available for pre-order this week at iTunes http://flyt.it/DaleandRayiTunes  and the band's store  http://flyt.it/DaleandRay 
 
Benson the longtime leader of Western swing legends Asleep at the Wheel, has received numerous honors throughout the band's 40-plus-year career, including nine Grammy Awards, Texan of the Year, and induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. The stubbornly independent, resplendently-tattooed Watson epitomizes and invented the hard-country Ameripolitan movement, whose charter is to "leave the hopelessly compromised word 'country' behind (and) to reestablish this music's unique identity, elevate its significance and pass a great musical tradition on to future generations."
 
Together, they now present themselves, with tongues in cheeks, as "just two young country singers."

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Original songs by Benson and Watson fill the new album, including the down-home humorous "The Ballad of Dale and Ray" and "Bus' Breakdown," their tribute to another pillar of American music "Feelin' Haggard," the old-school barroom lament "A Hangover Ago" and much more.
 
On Dec. 14, SiriusXM will preview Dale & Ray by world premiering one of the album's two covers, Willie Nelson's "Write Your Own Songs," a less-than-affectionate letter to music industry executives. Dallas Wayne and Mojo Nixon will spin it simultaneously on SiriusXM's Willie's Roadhouse (Channel 59) and Outlaw Country (Channel 60) channels, respectively, at 5 PM ET.
 
"Ray and I have talked about doing this record from all the way back when I had black hair and he was still awake at the wheel," Watson says. "To be able to do a record with a man I respect so much has been a dream come true."
 
"The idea for this record is older than Willie Nelson," Benson confirms. "Dale and I are kind of kindred spirits. We both have made careers as outsides, fighting for the opportunity to play and showcase the kind of music that we want to play. For this record, we got to write and create original music that I'm extremely proud of."
 
Live shows featuring country's latest brand-new duo, Dale and Ray, have been confirmed throughout and beyond January 2017. Currently scheduled dates are below.
 
You can also catch Benson on his hour-long radio show of hand-picked Western Swing and Texas Honky Tonk songs, "Austin Outer Limits," which broadcasts on SiriusXM's Willie's Roadhouse channel (Channel 59), airing bi-weekly. He also hosts the "Texas Music Scene," a nationally syndicated television show highlighting Texas music talent. On February 15, 2017, Benson will be joining Watson for co-hosting duties for the 4th Annual Ameripolitan Music Awards at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX.
 
For the latest dates and further information, visit  daleandray.com.

Dale and Ray on tour:
1/6 - The Kessler Theatre - Dallas, TX
1/7 - Gruene Hall - Gruene, TX
1/8 - The Broken Spoke - Austin, TX
1/18 - The Sheldon - St. Louis, MO
1/19 - The Castle Theater - Bloomington, IL
1/20 - The Kent Stage - Kent, OH
1/21 - Old Town School of Folk - Chicago, IL
1/22 - Knucklehead's - Kansas City, MO
1/27 - Liberty Hall - Tyler, TX
1/28 - The Heights Theater - Houston, TX
1/29 - Brass Hall - Marble Falls, TX
2/15 - Ameripolitan Awards - Austin, TX
2/26 - Sirius XM Outlaw Country Cruise
3/3 - Luckenbach - Fredericksburg, TX
3/22 - Anhalt Hall - Anhalt, TX