George Benson was born on March 22, 1943, and grew up in Pittsburgh's Hill District, a neighborhood he later described as "the heart of the ghetto." He was performing before he was old enough to drive. As a child he sang and played ukulele around the city as Little Georgie Benson, a child radio performer, then moved to guitar and worked the corner pubs of his hometown.
In the early 1960s he apprenticed with organist Jack McDuff, the training ground for his jazz playing, and his early work as a bandleader included The New Boss Guitar of George Benson in 1964.
The 1976 album Breezin', produced with Tommy LiPuma, became the first jazz record to attain platinum sales and was eventually certified triple platinum. It carried his guitar and voice to a general audience. It included his recording of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade," featuring the guitarist scatting along with his solo break, the recording that brought him his first Grammy Award. He followed with pop hits including a version of "On Broadway" and "Give Me the Night," produced by Quincy Jones. These recordings grew from both his instrumental experience and his longstanding interest in singing.
The crossover drew a distinction some listeners missed. Benson kept playing the kind of guitar work he had learned in clubs and studios while his albums sold in the pop market, and the National Endowment for the Arts, naming him a Jazz Master in 2009, described a musician who played the dual role of expert improviser and vibrant entertainer.
Benson has won ten Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His career connected jazz ensembles, popular song and collaborations with musicians and producers from different musical settings.
