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Benson
The Autobiography
Description
Over the course of his fifty-year career, George Benson has performed for hundreds of millions of fans around the world, received ten Grammy Awards, and recorded with some of the most revered musicians of his era. In 2011, he earned a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters Award. And he has finally decided to tell his story.
Benson: The Autobiography follows the musician's remarkable rise from the ghettos of Pittsburgh to the stages of Dubai, and everywhere in between. His tales of scuffling on the road with jazz legend Brother Jack McDuff, navigating his way through the recording studio with Miles Davis, and emerging as the first true (and truly successful) jazz/soul crossover artist will enthrall devotees of both music history and pop culture.
An open and truthful raconteur, Benson discusses his near-arrest for domestic abuse, the tragic illnesses that afflicted his family, the secret lives of his musical cohorts, and racism's effect on his life and art. His long-awaited book allows readers to meet one of the most beloved, prolific, and bestselling musicians of any era.
Benson: The Autobiography follows the musician's remarkable rise from the ghettos of Pittsburgh to the stages of Dubai, and everywhere in between. His tales of scuffling on the road with jazz legend Brother Jack McDuff, navigating his way through the recording studio with Miles Davis, and emerging as the first true (and truly successful) jazz/soul crossover artist will enthrall devotees of both music history and pop culture.
An open and truthful raconteur, Benson discusses his near-arrest for domestic abuse, the tragic illnesses that afflicted his family, the secret lives of his musical cohorts, and racism's effect on his life and art. His long-awaited book allows readers to meet one of the most beloved, prolific, and bestselling musicians of any era.
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Praise
The New York City Jazz Record, October 2014
“This is a breezy tome that reads with the elegant ease and straightforward earnestness of one of its author's soulful guitar solos. Unsurprisingly, the jazz world's best-known crossover artist presents his life story in an accessible, conversational manner akin to the relaxed delivery of his many Grammy Award-garnering vocalizations…insightful…entertaining….Benson: The Autobiography is fun from start to finish.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/28/14
“One might have expected Mr. Benson to focus primarily on his decades of stardom, touching only briefly on his roots. Fortunately for jazz and for Pittsburgh, it's the other way around.”
Record Collector, December 2014
“An engaging read.”
Downbeat, December 2014
“It's a breezy memoir…The book has a friendly, conversational tone throughout…fans who want to learn more about the career of one of jazz's most popular artists will enjoy the ride.”
BackstageAxxess, 12/18/14
"Very well done and filled with amusing and informative anecdotes. Even if you don't know much about jazz, you'll come away with a greater sense and understanding of this important music.”
“This is a breezy tome that reads with the elegant ease and straightforward earnestness of one of its author's soulful guitar solos. Unsurprisingly, the jazz world's best-known crossover artist presents his life story in an accessible, conversational manner akin to the relaxed delivery of his many Grammy Award-garnering vocalizations…insightful…entertaining….Benson: The Autobiography is fun from start to finish.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/28/14
“One might have expected Mr. Benson to focus primarily on his decades of stardom, touching only briefly on his roots. Fortunately for jazz and for Pittsburgh, it's the other way around.”
Record Collector, December 2014
“An engaging read.”
Downbeat, December 2014
“It's a breezy memoir…The book has a friendly, conversational tone throughout…fans who want to learn more about the career of one of jazz's most popular artists will enjoy the ride.”
BackstageAxxess, 12/18/14
"Very well done and filled with amusing and informative anecdotes. Even if you don't know much about jazz, you'll come away with a greater sense and understanding of this important music.”
"George Benson has quite a story to tell, and I'm sure his life will be an inspiration to many. He's a formidable talent as a guitarist and singer, and the stories surrounding his rise to fame are quite intriguing."—Herbie Hancock
"For as long as I've known him—and we're talking over forty years—George Benson has demonstrated an uncanny ability to tell beautiful, exciting, interesting, musical stories with both his guitar and his singing, so it's no surprise that Benson: The Autobiography—a book that's been a long time coming—is full of beautiful, exciting, interesting, musical stories. To paraphrase George himself, this book will put you over the moon!"—Quincy Jones
"Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, entertainer: George Benson truly is a man of a thousand talents, each more wonderful than the last. And now you can add author to the list."—Al Jarreau
"The funny, colorful stories in George's wonderful memoir made me want to go and play some guitar and bass songs with him, just like in the old days."—Ron Carter
No Echo
“A perfect gift for the jazzbo in your life.”
"For as long as I've known him—and we're talking over forty years—George Benson has demonstrated an uncanny ability to tell beautiful, exciting, interesting, musical stories with both his guitar and his singing, so it's no surprise that Benson: The Autobiography—a book that's been a long time coming—is full of beautiful, exciting, interesting, musical stories. To paraphrase George himself, this book will put you over the moon!"—Quincy Jones
"Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, entertainer: George Benson truly is a man of a thousand talents, each more wonderful than the last. And now you can add author to the list."—Al Jarreau
"The funny, colorful stories in George's wonderful memoir made me want to go and play some guitar and bass songs with him, just like in the old days."—Ron Carter
No Echo
“A perfect gift for the jazzbo in your life.”