Benjamin Booker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Booker
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Benjamin Booker in New Orleans, LA (9 October 2024)
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| Birth name | Benjamin Roderick Evans |
| Born | June 14, 1989 Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States |
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| Years active | 2012–present |
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Benjamin Booker, whose real name is Benjamin Roderick Evans, is an American musician. He was born on June 14, 1989. He is known for being a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His music style is a mix of blues, rock, and soul. People have described his sound as "raw" and "explosive garage rock." He has been inspired by artists like The Gun Club and T. Rex.
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Benjamin Booker's Early Life
Benjamin Booker was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His family later moved to Tampa, Florida. As a teenager, he went to many DIY punk shows. These were concerts put on by independent artists.
School Days
He attended Orange Grove Middle School, which was a special school for performing arts. After that, he went to Hillsborough High School. There, he was part of the International Baccalaureate Program. He then studied journalism at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He thought about becoming a music journalist.
Starting His Music Journey
After college, Benjamin moved to New Orleans. He worked for a non-profit group and started playing music shows. In 2012, he released his first collection of songs, an EP called Waiting Ones. It had four songs with a blues-influenced folk-punk sound. One song, "Have You Seen My Son," even played on Sirius XM radio. In 2013, he began touring as a duo. Soon after, he signed with ATO Records to make his first full album.
Benjamin Booker's Music Career
Benjamin Booker has released several albums and toured around the world. His music often combines different styles like blues, rock, and soul.
His First Album: Benjamin Booker (2014)
Benjamin Booker's first album was named after himself. It was recorded in December 2013 in Nashville. The album came out on August 19, 2014. The first song released from it was "Violent Shiver." The album was very popular. It quickly appeared on Billboard charts. Rolling Stone magazine called him an "artist you need to know." He also performed on popular TV shows like Late Night with David Letterman and Conan.
After the album came out, Benjamin Booker toured with famous musicians like Jack White and Courtney Barnett. He also played at many music festivals. These included Lollapalooza and the Newport Folk Festival. Rolling Stone said his Lollapalooza performance was the festival's "best rock star moment."
His Second Album: Witness (2017)
Benjamin Booker's second album, Witness, was released on June 2, 2017. The main song, also called "Witness," featured singer Mavis Staples. This song was described as a "hymn for Black Lives Matter" by The New York Times. It talked about important topics like police brutality. The album mixed blues, gospel, and soul music. The Fader shared the song "Right on You," calling it a "high-tempo ballad that packs a punch." Time magazine premiered another song, "Believe." After the album's release, Pitchfork noted how Benjamin made "retro music feel modern."
After touring for Witness, Benjamin Booker took some time away from releasing new music. In 2020, he released a song called "Black Disco." The money from this song went to the Southern Poverty Law Center. He also worked with other artists. In 2023, he was featured on a song called "Baby Steps" by Billy Woods and Kenny Segal. In 2024, he appeared on the song "Doves" by Armand Hammer.
His Latest Album: Lower (2025)
Towards the end of 2024, Benjamin Booker started talking about a new album called Lower. He released a song and music video for "LWA in the Trailer Park" on October 16, 2024. On December 11, 2024, he released two more songs from the album: "Show and Tell" and "Same Kind of Lonely." A music video for "Same Kind of Lonely" also came out that day. The final song released before the album was "Slow Dance in a Gay Bar" on January 14, 2025.
Lower was released on January 24, 2025. This was almost eight years after his last album, Witness. The album has 11 songs and lasts about 41 minutes. It mixes different music styles like art rock, neo soul, and psychedelic music. It also has lo-fi and experimental sounds. Kenny Segal, who Benjamin has worked with before, helped produce the album. Physical copies of the album, like CDs and vinyl records, were also available. Critics liked the album, giving it an average score of 80 out of 100.
Benjamin Booker's Music Releases
Benjamin Booker has released several albums and singles throughout his career.
Studio Albums
- Benjamin Booker (2014)
- Witness (2017)
- Lower (2025)
Live Albums
- Live at Third Man Records (2015 – only on vinyl)
EPs (Extended Play)
- Waiting Ones (2012)
- Spotify Sessions (2014 – only available digitally on Spotify)
Singles (Individual Songs)
- "Violent Shiver" (2014)
- "Witness" (2017)
- "Black Disco" (2020)
