George Benson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Benson
Benson in 2011
Background information
Birth name	George Washington Benson
Born	(1943-03-22) March 22, 1943 (age 82) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Jazz jazz fusion smooth jazz soul jazz adult contemporary urban contemporary
Occupation(s)	Singer musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Prestige Columbia Verve A&M CTI Warner Bros. GRP Concord Mascot
Associated acts	Jack McDuff Fuse One

George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He started his professional music journey at age 19. George Benson is known for his amazing guitar skills and his smooth singing voice.

He was a child prodigy, meaning he was very talented from a young age. In the 1960s, he became famous playing soul jazz with Jack McDuff. Later, he started a successful solo career. He mixed jazz, pop, and R&B singing, even using scat singing (singing with nonsense syllables). His album Breezin' was a huge hit in 1976. It sold over three million copies and reached number one on the Billboard album chart. George Benson has won ten Grammy Awards. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

George Benson's Early Life and Music

Growing Up in Pittsburgh

George Benson was born and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started playing music very young. At seven years old, he played the ukulele in a drug store. People paid him a few dollars for his music. When he was eight, he played guitar in a club on weekends. The police soon closed the club.

At age nine, he started recording songs. Two of his songs, "She Makes Me Mad" and "It Should Have Been Me," were released. They came out on RCA Victor's rhythm and blues label, Groove Records. George went to Connelley Vocational High School. But he left school to focus on his music career. In 1987, he received an honorary degree from Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Starting His Jazz Journey

As a young musician, George learned to play jazz guitar. He spent several years performing with organist Jack McDuff. One of his early guitar heroes was Hank Garland, a country-jazz guitarist.

When he was 21, George recorded his first album as a leader. It was called The New Boss Guitar of George Benson (1964). Jack McDuff also played on this album. His next album was It's Uptown (1966) with the George Benson Quartet. This group included Lonnie Smith on organ. George then released The George Benson Cookbook (1967). Famous jazz musician Miles Davis even featured George's guitar on his 1968 album, Miles in the Sky.

Rising to Stardom in the 1970s and 1980s

George Benson performing in New York, 1977

In 1970, George Benson released The Other Side of Abbey Road. This album featured his versions of songs from the Beatles' album Abbey Road. He then signed with CTI Records, a jazz label. There, he recorded several successful jazz albums. George also played with the CTI All-Stars group. He recorded with other jazz stars like Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine. He played on Hubbard's 1971 album First Light, which won a Grammy Award.

In 1972, Benson released his version of "White Rabbit". This song was originally by the band Great Society and made famous by Jefferson Airplane. His 1974 album, Bad Benson, became number one on the Billboard jazz chart.

Breakthrough Success

By the mid-1970s, George Benson's music reached a much wider audience. In 1976, he released Breezin'. On this album, he sang lead vocals on the song "This Masquerade". This song became a huge pop hit and won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The rest of the Breezin' album was instrumental. It included his version of "Affirmation".

In 1976, George toured with soul singer Minnie Riperton. He also played guitar and sang backup on Stevie Wonder's song "Another Star". This song was on Wonder's famous album Songs in the Key of Life. George also recorded the original version of "The Greatest Love of All". This song was for the 1977 film about Muhammad Ali, The Greatest. Whitney Houston later made this song even more famous. His live performance of "On Broadway" from his 1978 album Weekend in L.A. also won a Grammy.

Benson performing in Montreux, 1986

The Qwest record label released George's hit pop album Give Me the Night. This album was produced by Quincy Jones. The title song, "Give Me the Night", became a top ten hit. He had many other hit singles like "Love All the Hurt Away" and "Turn Your Love Around". Quincy Jones encouraged George to explore his singing even more. This led George to rediscover his love for singers like Nat King Cole and Ray Charles. This influence shaped his vocal albums into the 1990s.

Recent Years and Achievements

In 1990, George Benson received an honorary music degree. It was from the Berklee College of Music. To celebrate his long partnership with Ibanez guitars, a special limited-edition guitar was made. It was called the GB30TH.

A 1978 Ibanez George Benson signature guitar. Joni Mitchell played this type of guitar.

In 2009, George Benson was named a Jazz Master. This is the highest honor for jazz musicians in the United States. He performed at the Ohrid Summer Festival in North Macedonia. He also performed a tribute show to Nat King Cole in Turkey.

In late 2009, George recorded an album called Songs and Stories. He promoted this album on TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In 2011, he released Guitar Man. This album went back to his guitar-playing roots from the 1960s. In 2013, he released Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole. This album featured other famous musicians like Wynton Marsalis. He also returned to perform at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil.

In 2016, George Benson was a mentor on the TV show Guitar Star. In 2018, he was featured on the Gorillaz song "Humility". He signed with Mascot Label Group in July 2018. George Benson stopped touring internationally in early 2024 due to health reasons.

On July 19, 2024, George Benson released a new album. It is called Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon. This album was based on recordings from 1989 that were thought to be lost. He recorded them with conductor Robert Farnon and the London Symphony Orchestra.

George Benson's Personal Life

George Benson has been married to Johnnie Lee since 1965. They have seven children. George describes his music as focusing on love and romance. This is because of his commitment to his family and his religious beliefs. George Benson is a Jehovah's Witness. He lives in Englewood, New Jersey.

Discography

Awards

Grammy Awards

George Benson has won many Grammy Awards for his music. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: George Benson para niños