PHOTO COURTESY OF ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL/BISMEAUX PRODUCTIONS Jason Roberts, holding fiddle, joined the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel in 1994. Jason Roberts has something of a dual personality -- and he loves it that way.

The 1993 Lampasas High School graduate, fiddle player for the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, has added a theatrical persona to his musical repertoire, as Roberts plays the role of pioneering artist Bob Wills in Asleep at the Wheel's play "A Ride with Bob."

The theatrical production, which the band began performing in March 2005 to mark the hundredth anniversary of Wills' birth in East Texas, follows the creator of the Western swing style from his youth in the 1910s until the 1950s. The two-act play -- which features sets, full costumes and many Bob Wills tunes -- includes 25 actors and musicians. Asleep at the Wheel band members portray the Texas Playboys with whom Wills performed.

Roberts had never acted until the band began practicing for its production.

"It's a challenge to play Bob Wills," Roberts said, "but I feel like I've been practicing my whole life to play Bob Wills."

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL/BISMEAUX PRODUCTIONS In a performance of Asleep at the Wheel's play "A Ride with Bob," Briggs native Jason Roberts portrays Texas-born musician Bob Wills, a key developer of the Western swing style. Wills' style of music -- a mix of jazz, blues and country developed in the 1930s -- has been one of the driving forces in Roberts' life about as far back as he can remember.

Roberts first heard the strains of country music's classic artists, like Wills and Merle Haggard, as a child growing up in Briggs. His grandfather Buck Roberts performed with Buck Roberts and the Rhythm Airs, a Western swing band, and his parents and grandparents gathered often for informal singing and instrumental sessions.

Roberts' mother, Donna Roberts, and his great-grandfather Ed Watson especially enjoyed singing. Their love for music spread to Jason at an early age.

"I'd been singing songs ever since I could formulate sentences, I guess," he said.

At age 11, Roberts took about eight months of fiddle lessons from David Bohannon. He played one of his great-grandfather's fiddles, which Lampasas musician and instrument-maker Reid Schaub refurbished.

Roberts' mother and father, Vern Roberts, took him to many jam sessions and music festivals across Central Texas to give their son opportunities to play.

By age 13, the practicing paid off for Roberts, as he got a job with Hickory Creek, a band from Temple. The teenager stayed with the group about a year, earning about $100 for every weekend he played.

"That's pretty good money for a 13-year-old kid," Roberts said.

Johnny Gimble, who played for Wills from 1949 to 1951, also helped Roberts develop his musical talent. Gimble occasionally participated in jam sessions with Roberts' grandparents, as well as at other venues across Central Texas.

Gimble -- "one of the greatest Western swing musicians I've ever encountered," Roberts said -- helped the maturing fiddler learn to play some of his songs and gave Roberts advice on picking strings and amplifier settings.

Gimble gave Roberts simple advice: "Play all you can, and get real lucky."

Roberts did both.

Thanks in part to an ear that helped him memorize songs quickly, Roberts soon developed his skills at "following" singers and other band members.

Roberts' determination, and the favor of several established musi- cians, also helped his career progress. At age 15, having entered numerous Western swing festivals, Roberts met steel guitar player Jimmy Day and the late Don Walser, a singer and songwriter from Austin. The men included Roberts in two of their practice sessions and then invited him to join their band.

With performances three nights a week -- along with schoolwork, football and baseball -- Roberts soon became exhausted. An athlete since his T-ball days, he nevertheless chose to focus on music.

Roberts worked with country artist Jody Nix throughout his junior and senior years at LHS, and stayed at Nix's home in Big Spring for much of his summer vacations to hone his musical skills.

In January of 1994, Roberts began working for Asleep at the Wheel. Two years later, when the band's primary fiddler left, he assumed the full-time role. Roberts also plays mandolin and steel guitar at times.

Although he had heard much of Asleep at the Wheel's music as a youth and was accustomed to the band's style, the new job seemed intimidating at times. The band, created in 1970, had featured many musicians, from Gimble to Larry Franklin, whom Roberts initially doubted he could match.

"I definitely felt like I had my work cut out for me," Roberts said.

The former Briggs resident quickly found his niche, though. He still plays with his greatgrandfather's fiddle and contributes a viola-like sound to the band's live shows with another family fiddle he discovered. Roberts added a fifth string to that instrument for a deep sound like the one Gimble used to summon from his five-stringed fiddle.

With about 150 performances each year, Roberts appreciates the variety Asleep at the Wheel's improvisational approach allows.

"I like music that can be interpreted many ways by different artists," he said. "That translates into a lot of freedom for me and keeps it fun when I'm having to play the same thing over and over."

Solos allow Roberts to play anything from a single note to longer phrases and even to sing on occasion.

"I really feel free to express myself how I feel at the time, and not a lot of bands encourage that," he said.

Although Roberts said composition does not come easily for him, he enjoys the challenge from time to time.

Asleep at the Wheel's CD "Reinventing the Wheel," released in 2007, included Roberts' song "Am I Right (Or Amarillo)." Roberts also wrote "Santa Loves to Boogie," a take-off of a Bob Wills song.

Asleep at the Wheel in February released "Willie and the Wheel" with Willie Nelson as lead vocalist. The collaboration continued with a 15-show tour that included the taping of an "Austin City Limits" television episode set to air in October.

During recording and the tour, Roberts forged a strong bond with the famed musician.

"Willie is a gentleman and a scholar," Roberts said. "He is really one of the nicest people I've ever met. He loves to laugh and joke.

"It's a real thrill just to stand three feet from him on stage and have him pass a solo my way. He's been a really great friend to us."

Despite the excitement of Asleep at the Wheel's various studio projects, Roberts still finds his greatest passion on stage. The band plays many of the same venues where Roberts began his career, including music festivals and smalltown theaters. Such venues give him an opportunity to interact with audiences.

"I like to see people dance and have a good time," the fiddler said. "A good live show is pretty hard to beat."

As a father and husband, however, Roberts craves family time in Austin as much as or more than an appearance on stage. He and his wife Gretchen, who are expecting a son in November, enjoy singing together at home and have spread the love of music to daughter Jasie, 8.

Jasie especially likes Bob Wills songs -- "Roly Poly" and "San Antonio Road" are among her favorites -- and may start on the fiddle soon. The Roberts' son also will have encouragement to play, if he desires. "I'll put a fiddle in his hands as soon as he's ready," Roberts said with a laugh.

As he plays multiple roles, from band member to family man -- and even Bob Wills -- Roberts returns to his instruments for energy and inspiration.

"I still feel young on the inside," he said, "and I feel like music is a big part of that."