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 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American Rock music, rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell (musician), Mike Campbell, ...

Early years

Tench was born in

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, which had a population of 339,247 in ...

, 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 developm ...

, 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 an ...

. 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 late ...

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 pu ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Mudcrutch, Petty's band, with an opening act from nearby Jacksonville, 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 Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, having recorded with dozens of notable artists. Benmont Tench Hollywood Bowl

Songs written by Tench and recorded by other artists include " You Little Thief", a top 5 UK and Australian hit for Feargal Sharkey in 1985, and "Never Be You" (co-written with Petty), which became a #1 US Country hit for Rosanne Cash, also in 1985. Tench has received two ASCAP songwriting awards: in 1995 for " Stay Forever" (performed by Hal Ketchum) 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 Ther ...

). This was also recorded by Carlene Carter in the early 1990s. He also wrote songs for Kimmie Rhodes ("Play Me A Memory") and Lone Justice ("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, in ...

(W.P.A.). The band is composed of Tench, Sean Watkins (guitar), Sara Watkins (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 string ...

, vocals), Luke Bulla (fiddle), Greg Leisz (various), Pete Thomas (drums), and Davey Faragher (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'', along with other musical greats such as

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American Country music, country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later s ...

, Roy Orbison,

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...

, Eurythmics,

Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards a ...

, U2, X (American band) 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 and David Rawlings, and accompanied the Dave Rawlings Machine 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 a ...

. Tench also appears on the bill for a tribute to the band Big Star 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 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He also played on three songs from The Who's album '' WHO'', 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. 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) * '' Shot of Love'' -

(1981) * '' I Can't Stand Still'' -

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as " Witchy Woman", " D ...

(1982) * '' The Wild Heart'' - Stevie Nicks (1983) * '' Building the Perfect Beast'' - Don Henley (1984) * '' Lone Justice'' - Lone Justice (1985) * ''

Empire Burlesque ''Empire Burlesque'' is the 23rd studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on June 10, 1985 on Columbia Records. Self-produced, the album peaked at in the U.S. and in the UK. Accompanied by multiple session musicians—in ...

'' -

(1985) * '' Who's Zoomin' Who?'' -

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

(1985) * '' Rock a Little'' - 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'' - Brian Setzer (1986) * ''

Sentimental Hygiene ''Sentimental Hygiene'' is the sixth studio album by rock singer-songwriter Warren Zevon and his first "sober" one. The album was released on August 29, 1987, by Virgin Records. The release of ''Sentimental Hygiene'' marked the first studio album ...

'' -

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 Tho ...

(1987) * ''Two Stories'' - Williams Brothers (1987) * '' Mystery Girl'' - Roy Orbison (1989) * '' The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar'' - Peter Case (1989) * '' Full Moon Fever'' -

(1989) * '' Transverse City'' - Warren Zevon (1989) * '' Back from Rio'' -

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 ...

(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 John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

(1991) * ''Reckoning'' - Christine Lakeland (1993) * '' Robin Zander'' - Robin Zander (1993) * '' Blink of an Eye'' - Michael McDonald (1993) * '' I'm Alive'' - Jackson Browne (1993) * '' Rumble Doll'' -

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'' -

(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 ...

'' - Screaming Trees (1996) * '' We Ran'' -

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'' - Don Henley (2000) * '' American III: Solitary Man'' - Johnny Cash (2000) * '' Trouble in Shangri-La'' - 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, thou ...

'' -

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 portrai ...

(2004) * '' 12 Songs'' -

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

(2005) * '' Taking the Long Way'' -

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'' - Tom Petty (2006) * ''

Home Before Dark ''Home Before Dark'' is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Released on May 5, 2008, it was the artist's second album for American Recordings. ''Home Before Dark'' received generally positive reviews f ...

'' - 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 re ...

'' -

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

(2010) * '' Dreams'' - 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 What's My Name? or What's My Name may refer to: * "What's My Name" (China Anne McClain, Thomas Doherty and Dylan Playfair song) * "What's My Name?" (Rihanna song) * "What's My Name?" (Snoop Doggy Dogg song) * "What's My Name?" (DMX song) * "Wh ...

'' - Ringo Starr (2019) * '' Who'' - The Who (2019) * '' Starting Over'' - Chris Stapleton (2020) * '' Zoom In'' - 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