George Benson Biography

Fast Facts

• His record "This Masquerade" won the 1976 Grammy Award for record of the year
• In 1976, he released the first platinum-selling jazz album
• Won a 1981 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Give Me the Night․"
• As a child, he switched from ukulele to guitar when his hands were big enough to handle the larger instrument
• Secured a paying gig as a ukulele player at a local club when he was just 7 years old, but since he was too young to officially perform in a venue, his early career continued on the sidewalks of Pittsburgh
• His version of Leon Russells "This Masquerade" became a crossover hit
• Known to favor hollow body Japanese electric guitars
• Would sing scat vocals along with his guitar solos, matching them note for note
• A light jazz sound pervades his music, whether it be fusion, funk, rhythm and blues or pop-soul
• Mo Nazam interviewed him for a 2004 issue of "Guitarist․"
• Stated that he looked up to guitarists Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and Hank Garland