Benny Benjamin | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | William Benjamin Jr. |
Also known as | Papa Zita |
Born | (1925-07-25)July 25, 1925 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
Died | April 20, 1969(1969-04-20) (aged 43) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Genres | R&B, jazz |
Occupation | Musician |
Instrument | Drums |
Years active | 1940s–1969 |
Labels | Motown |
Formerly of | The Funk Brothers |
William "Benny" Benjamin (July 25, 1925 – April 20, 1969), nicknamed Papa Zita, was an American musician, most notable as the primary drummer for the Motown Records studio band The Funk Brothers. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and was named the eleventh best drummer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2016.
Life and career
Benjamin was a native of Birmingham, Alabama. He originally learned to play drums in the style of the big band jazz groups in the 1940s.
In 1958, he was Motown's first studio drummer, where he was noted for his dynamic style. Several Motown record producers, including Berry Gordy, refused to work on any recording sessions unless Benjamin was the drummer and James Jamerson the bassist. The Beatles singled out Benjamin's drumming style upon meeting Gordy in the UK. Among the Motown songs he performed on are early hits such as "Money (That's What I Want)" by Barrett Strong, "Shop Around" by the Miracles and "Do You Love Me" by the Contours; as well as later hits such as "Get Ready" and "My Girl" by the Temptations, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by the Four Tops, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" by Stevie Wonder, "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, and "Going to a Go-Go" by the Miracles.
Benjamin was influenced by the work of drummers Buddy Rich and Tito Puente. He recorded with a studio set composed of Ludwig, Slingerland, Rogers and Gretsch components and probably Zildjian cymbals.
By the late 1960s, Benjamin struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and the fellow Funk Brothers Uriel Jones and Richard "Pistol" Allen increasingly recorded more of the drum tracks for the studio's releases. He died on April 20, 1969, of a stroke at age 43.
Notes
- Some sources list the date of birth as July 15, 1925.
- Some sources attribute "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" to drummer Pistol Allen. (Source 1, Source 2)
References
- Betts, Graham (2014). Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. pp. 45–46. ISBN 9781311441546. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- U.S. Social Security Death Index, 377-20-0866
- William Benjamin Jr., Applications for Headstones, 1/1/1925 - 6/30/1970; NAID: NAID 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General
- ^ Abbo, Andrea (June 19, 2020). "Benny Benjamin, an outstanding drummer". Zero to Drum. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "Benny Benjamin – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame biography (2019)". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 2003. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- "Benny Benjamin". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ Weingarten, Christopher; Dolan, Jon; Diehl, Matt; Micallef, Ken; Ma, David; Smith, Gareth; Wang, Oliver; Heller, Jason; Runtagh, Jordan (March 31, 2016). "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "The Funk Brothers". Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Archived from the original on April 4, 2003. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- Slutsky, Allan (2003). "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Eighteenth Annual Induction booklet" (PDF). rockhall.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- "AllMusic: Benny Benjamin – credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- McCollum, Brian (June 5, 2016). "Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- Sisario, Ben (March 25, 2009). "Uriel Jones, a Motown Drummer, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
External links
- Standing in the Shadows of Motown at IMDb
- "Benny Benjamin". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 10 Best Rhythm Sections of All Time – Drum! magazine
- Sunday Sounds: Benny Benjamin's 'Supreme' Motown Sound – Drum! magazine
- Secrets of Motown: The Tracks of Their Drums – Modern Drummer magazine
The Funk Brothers | |
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#1 hit singles |
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Class of 2003 | |
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Performers | |
Non-performers (Ahmet Ertegun Award) | |
Sidemen |
- 1925 births
- 1969 deaths
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- 20th-century American drummers
- 20th-century American male musicians
- African-American drummers
- American jazz drummers
- American male drummers
- American male jazz musicians
- American session musicians
- American soul musicians
- Jazz musicians from Alabama
- Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama
- Rhythm and blues drummers
- Soul drummers
- The Funk Brothers members