George Benson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name George Washington Benson
Place Of Birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Age 80 years old
Birth Date March 22 1943
George Benson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Musician Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $5,000,000
Current Partner Johnnie Lee
About George BensonGeorge Benson was born on March 22, 1943.He is an American jazz guitarist who has released over 30 albums. His music spans many genres, including soul, R&B, and pop.This jazz master is both an impeccable lead player and one of the best rhythm guitarists of all time. Being a versatile musician, George Benson was blessed with a beautiful guitar tone, supreme taste, terrific speed, an insatiable urge to swing, and an unbelievable capability for building solos.Benson has spent more than half a century in the music industry and has worked alongside legendary musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Claus Ogerman, Stanley Turrentine, Chet Atkins, and many more. His sources of inspiration are Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christian. Keep reading to learn more facts about George Benson.George Benson Net Worth, Earnings & Spending HabitsWhat is George Benson’s net worth?George Benson’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million.How much does George Benson earn per year?It is estimated that George Benson earns about $400,000 per year. His primary source of income is the royalty from the music that he has produced throughout his long career as a jazz musician.Height, Age & Physical AttributesHow tall is George Benson?Coming to his physical attributes, George Benson has a height of 5 ft 8 in (177 cm).How old is George Benson?This gifted jazz musician was born on March 22, 1943. So, as of 2022, Benson is 79 years old.Childhood And EducationGeorge Benson was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania where he was considered to be a child prodigy. At the age of eight, Benson started working as a professional singer in a nightclub in Pittsburg. At the age of nine, he made his first recording.In the 2013 album ‘Inspiration’ (Benson’s tribute to Nat King Cole), George Benson performed the song ‘Mona Lisa’. At the age of 17, Benson formed a rock band. Later, he became interested in jazz, and Charlie Parker and Christian Montgomery were his biggest inspirations to venture into the music industry. By 1962, he was playing in Brother Jack McDuff’s band, and in 1965 he was discovered by John Hammond.In 1976, George Benson signed with Warner Bros where he was only expected to be a guitarist. However, the song ‘This Masquerade’ from the album ‘Breezin’ changed everything, and all his later albums started featuring him as both a guitarist and a singer.Family, Romance, And RelationshipsWho is George Benson’s partner?George Benson married Johnnie Lee in 1962, and they have been living happily together for 60 years now. The couple has seven children together. It is said that George Benson has described his music as focusing more on romance and love because of his commitment to his family.Career And Professional HighlightsBest Known For…George Benson’s journey to being one of the best in the world of jazz music began somewhere in the ’60s. His albums received commercial attention only after he moved to Verve Records and A&M Records in 1968. In the same year, Benson released ‘Shape Of Things To Come’, which made a buzz on the US Jazz Charts by reaching No. 11. Some of the best creations of George Benson that helped shape him into the Grammy-winning artist that he is today, include ‘Give Me The Night’.The song was composed by Rod Temperton and is considered to be one of the best by Benson. ‘The Masquerade’ was the first success after Benson signed for Warner Bros. Written by Leon Russell, this song won a Grammy for Record Of The Year and was also a top 10 hit on several R&B and pop charts.Another noteworthy song by Benson, which also made the top 10 on R&B and pop charts, is ‘On Broadway’. The names behind its composition are Barry Mann, Jerry Leiber, Cynthia Well, and Mike Stoller.Benson’s next great creation, ‘The Greatest Love Of All’, was a movie soundtrack. Composed by Michael Masser and Linda Creed, the song appeared in boxer Muhammad Ali’s 1977 biopic ‘The Greatest’.‘Breezin’ belongs to the same album as ‘The Masquerade’. Written by Bobby Womack, the song turned out to be one of the best instrumental songs performed by Benson. It reached No. 43 on the R&B chart.Written by Bill Champlin, Steve Lukather, and Jay Graydon, ‘Turn Your Love Around’ was released in 1981, and made the top 10 on the R&B and pop charts. Benson’s next big break was ‘Love X Love’. It was composed by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. The track was a huge success both as a part of the ‘Give Me The Night’ album and as a single.Another composition of Rod Temperton and one of the best among his work is ‘Off Broadway’. ‘Love Ballad’ which was written by Skip Scarborough was released in the album ‘Love To The World’. It made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and held its position at number one for two weeks on the R&B chart. Written by Omar Hakim, ‘Being With You’, is yet another song by this artist that is worth mentioning. It was released in 1983 as a part of the album ‘In Your Eyes’.Charity WorkOver the years, Benson has supported many organizations that promote music education. He is also known for participating in many fundraising efforts to help these organizations. To raise money for the scholarship fund for music education, Benson also donated one of his signature Ibanez guitars.What awards has George Benson Won?George Benson has won many awards throughout his career, including 10 Grammy Awards. In fact, he is the most decorated jazz guitarist in history.Benson received his first Grammy (Best R&B Instrumental Performance) in 1977 for ‘Theme From Good King Bad’. In the same year, he won two more Grammys, one for the Best Pop Instrumental Performance award for ‘Breezin’ and the second for Record Of The Year for ‘This Masquerade’.Benson’s fourth Grammy came in 1979 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for ‘On Broadway’. Two years later, in 1981, he received three more: Best Jazz Vocal Performance for ‘Moody’s Mood’, Best R&B Instrumental for ‘Off Broadway’, and Best R&B Vocal for ‘Give Me The Night’.Benson won his eighth Grammy in 1984 for ‘Being With You’ and two more in 2007 for ‘God Bless The Child’ and ‘Mornin’.George Benson’s Hobbies And InterestsGeorge Benson loves to meet new and rising jazz guitarists and guide them on their journey in the industry. He is often seen in Manhattan jazz clubs where he observes guitarists. It is also said that if Benson comes across any promising musicians in these clubs, he invites them to Benson HQ for jam sessions.Other Interesting George Benson Facts And TriviaWhen George Benson first formed a rock band, he used to play the guitar that his stepfather made for him.Along with 10 wins, Benson has been nominated 25 times for a Grammy.In 2008, ‘Breezin’, one of Benson’s best works, was included in the Grammy Hall of Fame.In 1988, Benson made his Grammy stage debut with a rendition of ‘On Broadway’. It was organized for a special segment of the telecast in New York.Benson was also recognized as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment of Arts. It is considered to be the highest honor in jazz in the county.Benson’s career is said to have stagnated for a bit in the ’80s. Yet, he managed to release ‘20/20’ (a 1984 album), ‘Collaboration’ (a 1987 album), and ‘Tenderly’ (a 1989 album).The Berklee College of Music awarded an honorary Doctor of Music to Benson in 1990.For his contribution to the world of music and jazz, Benson has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Some of the greatest musicians whom Benson has collaborated with are Creed Taylor, Billy Cobham, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Ronnie Foster, and Rudy Van Gelder.The musicians who have had a great influence on Benson’s style and work are Charlie Christer, Paco de Lucia, Joe Williams, Tai Farlow, Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino Chuck Berry, Eddie Lang, and Django Reinhardt.After ‘Inspiration’, Benson went on to release a second tribute album in 2019 titled ‘Walking To New Orleans: Remembering Chuck Berry And Fats Domino’.Benson’s first Grammy came in 1977 and the last one in 2007. The songs that won him a total of 10 Grammy awards include, ‘Theme From Good King Bad’ (1977), ‘Breezin’ (1977), ‘This Masquerade’ (1977), ‘On Broadway’ (1979), ‘Moody’s Mood’ (1981), ‘Off Broadway’ (1981), ‘Give Me The Night’ (1981), ‘Being With You’ (1984), ‘God Bless The Child’ (2007), and ‘Mornin’ (2007).Main image credit: A.PAES /Shutterstock
George Benson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name George Washington Benson
Place Of Birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Age 80 years old
Birth Date March 22 1943
George Benson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Musician Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $5,000,000
Current Partner Johnnie Lee
George Benson was born on March 22, 1943.
George Benson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name George Washington Benson
Place Of Birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Age 80 years old
Birth Date March 22 1943
George Benson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name George Washington Benson
Place Of Birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Age 80 years old
Birth Date March 22 1943
Birth Name George Washington Benson
Place Of Birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Age 80 years old
Birth Date March 22 1943
Birth Name George Washington Benson
Place Of Birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Age 80 years old
Birth Date March 22 1943
George Benson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Musician Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $5,000,000
Current Partner Johnnie Lee
George Benson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Musician Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $5,000,000
Current Partner Johnnie Lee
Child Star? no Occupation Musician Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $5,000,000
Current Partner Johnnie Lee
Child Star? no Occupation Musician Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $5,000,000
Current Partner Johnnie Lee
