GB
George Benson
Actor, Additional CreditsBorn March 22, 1943 (81 years)
George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.
A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, playing soul jazz with Jack McDuff and others. He then launched a successful solo career, alternating between jazz, pop, R&B singing, and scat singing. His album Breezin' was certified triple-platinum, hitting no. 1 on the Billboard album chart in 1976. His concerts were well attended through the 1980s, and he still has a large following. Benson has won ten Grammy Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Benson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he first played the ukulele in a corner drug store, for which he was paid a few dollars. At age eight, he played guitar in an unlicensed nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights, but the police soon closed the club down. At age nine, he started to record. Out of the four sides he cut, two were released: "She Makes Me Mad" backed with "It Should Have Been Me", with RCA Victor in New York; although one source indicates this record was released under the name "Little Georgie", the 45rpm label is printed with the name George Benson. The single was produced by Leroy Kirkland for RCA's rhythm and blues label, Groove Records.
Benson attended and graduated from Schenley High School. As a youth he learned how to play straight-ahead instrumental jazz during a relationship performing for several years with organist Jack McDuff. One of his many early guitar heroes was country-jazz guitarist Hank Garland.
At the age of 21, he recorded his first album as leader, The New Boss Guitar, featuring McDuff. Benson's next recording was It's Uptown with the George Benson Quartet, including Lonnie Smith on organ and Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone. Benson followed it up with The George Benson Cookbook, also with Lonnie Smith and Ronnie Cuber on baritone and drummer Marion Booker. Miles Davis employed Benson in the mid-1960s, featuring his guitar on "Paraphernalia" on his 1968 Columbia release, Miles in the Sky before Benson went to Verve Records.
Benson then signed with Creed Taylor's jazz label CTI Records, where he recorded several albums, with jazz heavyweights guesting, to some success, mainly in the jazz field. His 1974 release, Bad Benson, climbed to the top spot in the Billboard jazz chart, while the follow-ups, Good King Bad (#51 Pop album) and Benson & Farrell (with Joe Farrell), both reached the jazz top-three sellers. Benson also did a version of The Beatles's 1969 album Abbey Road called The Other Side of Abbey Road, also released in 1969, and a version of "White Rabbit", originally written and recorded by San Francisco rock group Great Society, and made famous by Jefferson Airplane. Benson played on numerous sessions for other CTI artists during this time, including Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine, notably on the latter's acclaimed album Sugar. ...
Source: Article "George Benson" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, playing soul jazz with Jack McDuff and others. He then launched a successful solo career, alternating between jazz, pop, R&B singing, and scat singing. His album Breezin' was certified triple-platinum, hitting no. 1 on the Billboard album chart in 1976. His concerts were well attended through the 1980s, and he still has a large following. Benson has won ten Grammy Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Benson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he first played the ukulele in a corner drug store, for which he was paid a few dollars. At age eight, he played guitar in an unlicensed nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights, but the police soon closed the club down. At age nine, he started to record. Out of the four sides he cut, two were released: "She Makes Me Mad" backed with "It Should Have Been Me", with RCA Victor in New York; although one source indicates this record was released under the name "Little Georgie", the 45rpm label is printed with the name George Benson. The single was produced by Leroy Kirkland for RCA's rhythm and blues label, Groove Records.
Benson attended and graduated from Schenley High School. As a youth he learned how to play straight-ahead instrumental jazz during a relationship performing for several years with organist Jack McDuff. One of his many early guitar heroes was country-jazz guitarist Hank Garland.
At the age of 21, he recorded his first album as leader, The New Boss Guitar, featuring McDuff. Benson's next recording was It's Uptown with the George Benson Quartet, including Lonnie Smith on organ and Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone. Benson followed it up with The George Benson Cookbook, also with Lonnie Smith and Ronnie Cuber on baritone and drummer Marion Booker. Miles Davis employed Benson in the mid-1960s, featuring his guitar on "Paraphernalia" on his 1968 Columbia release, Miles in the Sky before Benson went to Verve Records.
Benson then signed with Creed Taylor's jazz label CTI Records, where he recorded several albums, with jazz heavyweights guesting, to some success, mainly in the jazz field. His 1974 release, Bad Benson, climbed to the top spot in the Billboard jazz chart, while the follow-ups, Good King Bad (#51 Pop album) and Benson & Farrell (with Joe Farrell), both reached the jazz top-three sellers. Benson also did a version of The Beatles's 1969 album Abbey Road called The Other Side of Abbey Road, also released in 1969, and a version of "White Rabbit", originally written and recorded by San Francisco rock group Great Society, and made famous by Jefferson Airplane. Benson played on numerous sessions for other CTI artists during this time, including Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine, notably on the latter's acclaimed album Sugar. ...
Source: Article "George Benson" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Filmography
| 2024 | Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary · as Self - Musician |
| 2022 | Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes · as Self |
| 2022 | Better Nate Than Ever · as George Benson |
| 2020 | Ronnie's · as Self |
| 2020 | Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President · as Self |
| 2019 | Gorillaz: Reject False Icons · as Self |
| 2018 | It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story · as Self |
| 2016 | Soundbreaking (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2015 | Marcus · as Self |
| 2014 | Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark · as Self |
| 2014 | Good Morning Britain (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2013 | 2013 Soul Train Awards · as Self |
| 2012 | B.B. King: The Life of Riley · as Self |
| 2009 | Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | The ONE Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2005 | George Benson: Live at Montreux, 1986 · as Self - Guitar |
| 2004 | Tavis Smiley (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2003 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2002 | Today with Des and Mel (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2002 | American Idol (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2000 | George Benson: Absolutely Live · as Self |
| 2000 | BBC Breakfast (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2000 | The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards · as Self - Performer |
| 1999 | Loose Women (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll · as Self |
| 1999 | Where Are They Now? (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | 30th NAACP Image Awards · as Self |
| 1999 | The Genius of Lenny Breau · as Self |
| 1996 | VIP World (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1994 | New York Undercover (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1993 | Late Show with David Letterman (TV Series) · as Self - Guest Musician |
| 1992 | Later... with Jools Holland (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1990 | Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones · as Self |
| 1989 | The 3rd Annual Soul Train Music Awards · as Self |
| 1989 | The 16th Annual American Music Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 1988 | This Morning (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | The 1st Annual Soul Train Music Awards · as Self |
| 1985 | American Masters (TV Series) · as Self - Contributor |
| 1982 | Wogan (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1981 | Count Basie at Carnegie Hall · as Self |
| 1980 | Solid Gold (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1980 | The 22nd Annual Grammy Awards · as Self |
| 1977 | The 19th Annual Grammy Awards · as Self |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Live (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1975 | Good Morning America (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1974 | Dinah! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1973 | Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1972 | The Midnight Special (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | Soul Train (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | The Old Grey Whistle Test (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1969 | Sesame Street (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1967 | The Borgia Stick · as Self - Orchestra Conductor |
| 1964 | Top of the Pops (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series) · as Self - Vocalist |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self |