Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Early years

Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin Montmorency Tench Jr. and Mary Catherine McInnis Tench. His father was born and raised in the city of Gainesville, and served as a circuit court judge. Tench played piano from an early age. His first recital was at age six. After discovering the music of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

, he ended his classical piano lessons and focused on

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

. At age 11, he met

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

for the first time at a Gainesville music store. Petty and Tench played together as members of The Sundowners in 1964. The Tench family's garage was a frequent practice site for the band.

Education

He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and subsequently

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. While on a college break, Tench went to a concert by

Mudcrutch Mudcrutch was an American southern and country rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They are best known for being the band that began Tom Petty's rise to fame. Mudcrutch formed in Gainesville in 1970 and soon became a popular act across Florid ...

, Petty's band, with an opening act from nearby

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Afterwards, he sat in with the band on several different sessions, then went back to school. Soon after, Petty called Tench and asked him to quit school and join Mudcrutch full-time, which after long deliberation, Tench agreed to; but before he would leave school, Petty had to convince Tench's father that his son had a promising music career.

Music career

Mudcrutch eventually evolved into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In addition to playing piano and Hammond organ with the Heartbreakers, Tench is also a session musician, having recorded with dozens of notable artists. Benmont Tench Hollywood Bowl

Songs written by Tench and recorded by other artists include "

You Little Thief "You Little Thief" is a song by Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released in December 1985 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. It was written by Benmont Tench and produced by David A. Stewart. The song reached 5 in the United Ki ...

", a top 5 UK and Australian hit for

Feargal Sharkey Seán Feargal Sharkey (born 13 August 1958) is a singer from Northern Ireland most widely known as the lead vocalist of punk band The Undertones in the 1970s and 1980s, and for solo works in the 1980s and 1990s. His 1985 solo single "A Good ...

in 1985, and "Never Be You" (co-written with Petty), which became a #1 US Country hit for

Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and Vivian Liberto Cash Distin, Johnny Cash's first wife. Although she is often classified as a country art ...

, also in 1985. Tench has received two ASCAP songwriting awards: in 1995 for " Stay Forever" (performed by

Hal Ketchum Hal Michael Ketchum (April 9, 1953November 23, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He released eleven studio albums from 1986 to 2014, including nine for divisions of Curb Records. Ketchum's 1991 album ''Past the Point of ...

) and in 2001 for "Unbreakable Heart" (performed by

Jessica Andrews Jessica Danielle Andrews (born December 29, 1983) is an American country music singer. At age 15 in mid-1999, she made her debut on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts with the single "I Will Be There ...

). This was also recorded by

Carlene Carter Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith. As of 2020, since 1978, Carter has recorded 12 alb ...

in the early 1990s. He also wrote songs for

Kimmie Rhodes Kimmie Rhodes (born March 6, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter. She has recorded and released a total of sixteen solo CDs, written and produced three musicals and published a novella/cookbook, served as an associate producer for a document ...

("Play Me A Memory") and

Lone Justice Lone Justice is an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee. They have recently announced they are recording new material as per Marvin Etzioni July 2022. They are part of a new exhibit in Se ...

("Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)").

Other bands and solo career

In 2008, Tench became part of a supergroup, initially named The Scrolls, now officially known as

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(W.P.A.). The band is composed of Tench,

Sean Watkins Sean Charles Watkins (born February 18, 1977) is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He is a member of the contemporary folk band Nickel Creek, the duo Fiction Family and the supergroup Works Progress Administration. He is the brother of Sar ...

(guitar),

Sara Watkins Sara Ullrika Watkins (born June 8, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of Nickel Creek, the progressive bluegrass group she formed with her brother Sean and mandolinist Chris Thile. In addi ...

(fiddle), Glen Phillips (

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

, vocals), Luke Bulla (fiddle),

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage band cultu ...

(various), Pete Thomas (drums), and

Davey Faragher David Allen "Davey" Faragher (born August 18, 1957) is an American bass guitarist from Redlands, California. Faragher's career took off and received critical notice as a founding member of the nineties band Cracker, and his subsequent work with ...

(bass). The group released a self-titled album in September 2009. Tench penned one of the songs on the album, named "The Price," sung by Sara Watkins and himself. Tench has worked extensively with other musicians, playing keyboards on hundreds of songs on albums such as Stevie Nicks' '' Bella Donna'',

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's ''

Shot of Love ''Shot of Love'' is the 21st studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on August 12, 1981, by Columbia Records. It is considered to be Dylan's last of a trilogy of Christian albums. Arrangements are rooted more in rock, ...

'', along with other musical greats such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Alanis Morissette, Eurythmics, Fiona Apple, U2,

X (American band) X is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles. The original members are vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D. J. Bonebrake. The band released seven studio albums from 1980 to 1993. A ...

among many more. In 2009, Tench frequently appeared with the Watkins Family Hour at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles. He has also appeared at the Largo and at the Fillmore in San Francisco as a special guest with

Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, coun ...

and

David Rawlings David Todd Rawlings (born December 31, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Son ...

, and accompanied the

Dave Rawlings Machine David Todd Rawlings (born December 31, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Son ...

on part of their west coast tour in spring 2010. In 2015, the Watkins Family Hour released their debut album and went on a national tour. In 2014, Tench released his first solo album, titled ''You Should Be So Lucky''. Tench also added keyboard parts to Stevie Nicks' album '' 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault''. In 2016, he played the Fleetwood Mac tribute at the Fonda Theater, in Los Angeles; he performed the song "Silver Springs" with

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...

. Tench also appears on the bill for a tribute to the band

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guiar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). The group broke up in early 1975, and reorganized with a ne ...

that took place in Los Angeles, California, in April 2016 (together with members of R.E.M, Wilco and Semisonic). Tench also reunited with Mudcrutch to record the band's second album, ''

Mudcrutch 2 ''Mudcrutch 2'' (or simply ''2'') is the second and final studio album by American rock band Mudcrutch, released on May 20, 2016 and was the last recorded studio material by Tom Petty before his death in 2017. Promotion A limited edition 7" vin ...

''. The band embarked on their American tour on May 26, 2016. In March 2019, Tench played three shows with

Phil Lesh & Friends Phil Lesh and Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead. Phil & Friends is not a traditional group in that several different lineups of musicians have played under the name, including gr ...

at the Capitol Theatre in

Port Chester Port Chester is a village in the U.S. state of New York and the largest part of the town of Rye in Westchester County by population. At the 2010 U.S. census, the village of Port Chester had a population of 28,967 and was the fifth-most populou ...

, New York. He also played on three songs from

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's album ''

WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...

'', released in December 2019.

Personal life

In 1991, Tench married Canadian model Courtney Taylor. They divorced in late 1999. In 2015, Tench married his second wife, author

Alice Carbone Tench Alice Carbone Tench is an Italian-born writer, journalist, and chef based in Los Angeles. Career In 2010, after graduating from college in Foreign Languages and Literatures from the University of Turin (Italy), and after working as a translato ...

. Their daughter Catherine Gabriella Winter was born on December 16, 2017.

Discography

Solo

Studio album * ''You Should Be So Lucky'' (2014) Other studio appearance * The Mermaid Song" from ''More Music from The Rum Diary'' (2012) Live EP * ''Nervous from the Fall'' (2019)

Session

* '' Bella Donna'' - Stevie Nicks (1981) * ''

'' -

(1981) * '' I Can't Stand Still'' - Don Henley (1982) * '' The Wild Heart'' - Stevie Nicks (1983) * ''

Building the Perfect Beast ''Building the Perfect Beast'' is the second solo studio album by American rock singer Don Henley, released on November 19, 1984 by Geffen Records. A commercial and critical success, it is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, mor ...

'' - Don Henley (1984) * ''

'' -

(1985) * '' Empire Burlesque'' -

(1985) * ''

Who's Zoomin' Who? ''Who's Zoomin' Who?'' is the thirtieth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on July 9, 1985, by Arista Records. A departure from the Luther Vandross-produced adult contemporary sound of her previous albums '' Jump to It'' ...

'' - Aretha Franklin (1985) * ''

Rock a Little ''Rock a Little'' is the third solo studio album by the American singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks. Released in late 1985 while Fleetwood Mac were still on a lengthy hiatus following their album ''Mirage'' (1982), ''Rock a Little'' hit the top ...

'' - Stevie Nicks (1985) * ''

Knocked Out Loaded ''Knocked Out Loaded'' is the 24th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 14, 1986 by Columbia Records. The album was received poorly upon release, and is still considered by some critics to be one of Dylan's leas ...

'' - Bob Dylan (1986) * ''

The Knife Feels Like Justice ''The Knife Feels Like Justice'' is the debut album by American musician Brian Setzer, released in 1986 on the EMI America record label. In contrast to the rockabilly sound of his earlier band Stray Cats, this album emphasizes a roots rock sound ...

'' -

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

(1986) * '' Sentimental Hygiene'' -

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...

(1987) * ''Two Stories'' - Williams Brothers (1987) * ''

Mystery Girl ''Mystery Girl'' is the twenty-second album by American singer Roy Orbison. It was his last album to be recorded during his lifetime, as he completed the album in November 1988, a month before his death at the age of 52, and it was released post ...

'' - Roy Orbison (1989) * ''

The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar ''The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar'' (often called simply ''Blue Guitar'') is an album by American singer-songwriter Peter Case, released in 1989. Its title is a reference to the Wallace Stevens poem "The Man ...

'' -

Peter Case Peter Case (born April 5, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His career is wide-ranging, from rock n' roll and blues, to folk rock and solo acoustic performance. Biography Early career Case was born in Buffalo, New York, B ...

(1989) * ''

Full Moon Fever ''Full Moon Fever'' is the debut solo studio album by Tom Petty, released on April 24, 1989, by MCA Records. It features contributions from members of his band the Heartbreakers, notably Mike Campbell, as well as Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison (who di ...

'' -

(1989) * '' Transverse City'' - Warren Zevon (1989) * ''

Back from Rio ''Back from Rio'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the Byrds Roger McGuinn. It was released on January 8, 1991, more than a decade after McGuinn's previous solo album, ''Thunderbyrd''. The albu ...

'' -

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

(1991) * '' The Missing Years'' -

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

(1991) * '' Night Calls'' - Joe Cocker (1991) * ''Reckoning'' -

Christine Lakeland Christine Lakeland (born July 11, 1954) is an American musician/songwriter. She was married to the late guitarist/songwriter J.J. Cale. She played on many of his albums and was a member of his band. She also has recorded several albums under her o ...

(1993) * ''

Robin Zander Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a ...

'' -

(1993) * '' Blink of an Eye'' - Michael McDonald (1993) * '' I'm Alive'' - Jackson Browne (1993) * ''

Rumble Doll ''Rumble Doll'' is the debut full-length album from singer-songwriter Patti Scialfa. It features twelve tracks, eleven by Scialfa and one co-written with Mike Campbell. It also features a number of guest stars in production and playing roles, n ...

'' -

Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...

(1993) * '' Wildflowers'' - Tom Petty (1994) * '' Looking East'' - Jackson Browne (1996) * '' Unchained'' - Johnny Cash (1996) * ''

Dust Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in ho ...

'' -

Screaming Trees Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington, in 1984 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner, and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time ...

(1996) * ''

We Ran ''We Ran'' is a 1998 rock album by American singer, songwriter, and producer Linda Ronstadt. The disc featured back-up from three members of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. It spent two weeks on the ''Billboard'' albums chart, peaking at #160. ...

'' -

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

(1998) * ''

Inside Job An insider threat is a malicious threat to an organization that comes from people within the organization, such as employees, former employees, contractors or business associates, who have inside information concerning the organization's security ...

'' - Don Henley (2000) * '' American III: Solitary Man'' - Johnny Cash (2000) * ''

Trouble in Shangri-La ''Trouble in Shangri-La'' is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks. Released in 2001, it was her first new solo album since 1994's '' Street Angel''. The album debuted at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, Nicks' h ...

'' - Stevie Nicks (2001) * '' American IV: The Man Comes Around'' - Johnny Cash (2002) * ''

Tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...

'' -

Tift Merritt Tift may refer to: Places * Tift County, Georgia, a county in south-central Georgia, United States People with the given name * Tift Merritt (born 1975), American singer-songwriter People with the surname * Andrew Tift (born 1968), British portr ...

(2004) * '' 12 Songs'' - Neil Diamond (2005) * ''

Taking the Long Way ''Taking the Long Way'' is the seventh studio album by American country music group Dixie Chicks. Released on May 23, 2006, through Columbia Nashville, it was also the group's last album released under the “Dixie Chicks” name. The album debut ...

'' -

Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and ...

(2006) * '' American V: A Hundred Highways'' (2006) * ''

Highway Companion ''Highway Companion'' is the third and final solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Petty. It was released on July 25, 2006, and charted at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. The album was produced by former Traveling Wilbury ...

'' - Tom Petty (2006) * '' Home Before Dark'' - Neil Diamond (2008) * ''

Y Not ''Y Not'' is the 16th studio album by Ringo Starr, released on 12 January 2010 on the UMe and Hip-O Records labels. Music, lyrics and recording "Peace Dream" features former Beatle Paul McCartney on bass; another Beatle, John Lennon is r ...

'' - Ringo Starr (2010) * ''

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

'' - Neil Diamond (2010) * '' Ringo 2012'' - Ringo Starr (2012) * '' 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault'' - Stevie Nicks (2014) * '' Postcards From Paradise'' - Ringo Starr (2015) * ''

Give More Love ''Give More Love'' is the 19th studio album by English musician Ringo Starr. It was recorded primarily in Starr's home studio in Los Angeles and was released on 15 September 2017 by UM. The album features Starr's frequent collaborators such as ...

'' - Ringo Starr (2017) * '' What's My Name'' - Ringo Starr (2019) * ''

Who Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...

'' -

(2019) * '' Starting Over'' - Chris Stapleton (2020) * ''

Zoom In ''Zoom In'' is an EP by English singer-songwriter Ringo Starr, released on 19 March 2021 by Universal Music Enterprises. It was produced by Starr and co-produced by Bruce Sugar, except for "Teach Me to Tango" which was produced by Sam Hollander ...

'' - Ringo Starr (2021)

References

External Links

Benmont Tench Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2020) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tench, Benmont 1953 births American rock keyboardists Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers members Living people Musicians from Gainesville, Florida Phillips Exeter Academy alumni American session musicians Mudcrutch members American rock pianists American male pianists American organists American male organists 20th-century American pianists Tulane University alumni 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century organists Works Progress Administration (band) members 20th-century American keyboardists