George Benson
George Benson is a Pittsburgh-born guitarist and singer whose music connects jazz, soul and pop, from Breezin’ and “This Masquerade” to Give Me the Night.
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George’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Concord
RhinoOverview
- Born
- March 22, 1943, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Work
- Guitarist and singer
- Breakout
- Breezin’ (1976) and “This Masquerade”
- Honors
- 10 Grammy wins and 2009 NEA Jazz Master
Mini bio
Pittsburgh beginnings.
George began playing in Pittsburgh’s corner pubs and developed his jazz language alongside organist Brother Jack McDuff in the early 1960s. His first album as a leader, The New Boss Guitar of George Benson, arrived in 1964.
A voice alongside the guitar.
Breezin’ brought his singing to a much wider audience in 1976. “This Masquerade” reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album topped the Billboard 200. He followed with “On Broadway” and the Quincy Jones-produced Give Me the Night.
Music across generations.
His Nat King Cole tribute, Inspiration, brought together the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra and guests including Wynton Marsalis, Idina Menzel and Judith Hill. Dreams Do Come True finally shared his 1989 sessions with Robert Farnon’s orchestra in 2024, after the recordings were rediscovered in his archive.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2025There Must Be a Better World SomewhereCo-artist with Joe Bonamassa
- 2024Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert FarnonGuitarist, vocalist and co-producer with Randy Waldman
- 2013Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King ColeGuitarist and vocalist
- 1980Give Me the NightRecording artist; produced by Quincy Jones
- 1976Breezin’Guitarist and vocalist
- 1964The New Boss Guitar of George BensonBandleader and guitarist
Awards
- SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award2026 · Honored at the SFJAZZ Gala on May 7.
- NEA Jazz Master2009 · Recognized as a vocalist and solo instrumentalist on guitar.
- Grammy Hall of Fame2008 · Breezin’ inducted.
- Grammy Awards10 wins from 25 nominations, including Record of the Year for “This Masquerade” at the 1977 ceremony.
Quotes
Quality is my number one purpose for this move.George Benson, Candid Records partnership announcement via CelebrityAccess
Benson explained his move to Candid Records in July 2026, ahead of the expanded Inspiration reissue.
Trivia
- He started on ukulele at seven because his hands were too small for a guitar.
- He told Rhino that his recording of “This Masquerade” was captured in a single take.
- His 2013 Nat King Cole tribute includes a childhood recording of him singing “Mona Lisa” and playing ukulele.
- Fans helped finance Inspiration through a PledgeMusic campaign, with some proceeds earmarked for Hurricane Sandy relief.
Find George
Follow George for music, performances and notes from a lifetime with the guitar.
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