Benny Benjamin

For the songwriter Claude "Bennie" Benjamin, see Bennie Benjamin.

Benny Benjamin
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Benjamin Jr.
Also known asPapa Zita
Born(1925-07-25)July 25, 1925
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
DiedApril 20, 1969(1969-04-20) (aged 43)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
GenresR&B, jazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentDrums
Years active1940s–1969
LabelsMotown
Formerly ofThe Funk Brothers

William "Benny" Benjamin (July 25, 1925 – April 20, 1969),[1][a] nicknamed Papa Zita,[4] was an American musician, most notable as the primary drummer for the Motown Records studio band The Funk Brothers.[5] 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.[6][7]

Life and career

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Benjamin was a native of Birmingham, Alabama.[8] He originally learned to play drums in the style of the big band jazz groups in the 1940s.[5][8]

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[4] and James Jamerson the bassist. The Beatles singled out Benjamin's drumming style upon meeting Gordy in the UK.[5][7] 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, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" by Stevie Wonder, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, and "Going to a Go-Go" by The Miracles.[9][4][10][11][b]

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.[8]

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.[5][8] He died on April 20, 1969, of a stroke at age 43.[12]

Notes

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  1. ^ Some sources list the date of birth as July 15, 1925.[2][3]
  2. ^ Some sources attribute "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" to drummer Pistol Allen. (Source 1, Source 2)

References

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  1. ^ Betts, Graham (2014). Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. pp. 45–46. ISBN 9781311441546. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  2. ^ U.S. Social Security Death Index, 377-20-0866
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c 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.
  5. ^ a b c d "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.
  6. ^ "Benny Benjamin". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  7. ^ a b 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.
  8. ^ a b c d "The Funk Brothers". Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Archived from the original on April 4, 2003. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "AllMusic: Benny Benjamin – credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
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