George Benson on success, critics and staying true to himself

Few musicians have seen the success that guitarist, vocalist and cultural icon George Benson has: platinum records, a record of the year Grammy, four Top 10 hits. But from behind the gilded veil of fame, Benson’s immaculate chops shine through. He began working on the scene as a guitarist when he was an 8-year-old back in Pittsburgh, Pa., and those chops led to gigs with jazz luminaries Brother Jack McDuff, Lou Donaldson and Lee Morgan, among others.

When his fame started reaching new heights in the 1970s, though, the jazz community took umbrage at his success. “Everybody I know in the jazz world who cut a record that was exceptional or went out in front of everybody else… [was] criticized for doing it.” Benson says. “They said, ‘Well, it’s too commercial.’ In other words: It appealed to too many people, so something’s got to be wrong with it.”

In this very special episode, host Christian McBride sits down with Benson to talk about his decades-long career in the spotlight, his new “lost” album, Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon, and his principles as an artist. “My life does not depend on what the next man is doing,” Benson says. “It’s what I do.”

Set List:

• “Love is Blue” (Bryan Blackburn / Pierre Cour / André Popp), from the album Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon (Rhino)
• “A Song for You” (Leon Russell), from the album Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon (Rhino)
• “The Cooker” (George Benson), from the album The George Benson Cookbook (Columbia)
• “This Masquerade” (Russell), from the album Breezin’ (Warner Bros.)
• “Stella by Starlight” (Victor Young), from the album Tenderly (Warner Bros.)
• “The Greatest Love of All” (Michael Masser, Linda Creed), from The Greatest [Original Soundtrack] (Arista)
• “Deeper Than You Think” (Joe Sample), from the album Absolute Benson (GRP/Verve)

Credits:

Sarah Geledi, writer and producer; Trevor Smith, consulting producer; Simon Rentner, consulting editor; Ron Scalzo, mastering; Steven A. Williams, executive producer; Suraya Mohamed, executive producer at NPR Music; Keith Jenkins, vice president of visuals and music strategy at NPR; Christian McBride, host.

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