George Benson
A jazz guitar virtuoso who crossed over to pop superstardom with his smooth, scat-sung rendition of 'This Masquerade.'
Born 1943 (age 83)·American guitarist and singer·Birthday: March 22·The Silent Generation
Biography
George Benson made the journey from child prodigy to jazz purist to pop sensation without ever losing his musical soul. He was a singing ukulele player on street corners in Pittsburgh by age seven, and by his teens, he was a respected jazz guitarist, drawing direct comparisons to his hero, Wes Montgomery. For years, he built a solid career as an instrumentalist, his fluid runs a staple on CTI records. The turning point came almost by accident: during a 1976 recording session, he absentmindedly began scatting along to his own guitar solo on 'This Masquerade.' That track became a surprise vocal hit, propelling his album 'Breezin'' to multi-platinum status and transforming him into a household name. Benson mastered the delicate balance, delivering polished, soulful pop while still reserving space on his records for breathtaking, complex guitar work that reminded everyone of his foundational genius.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
George was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 70
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 80
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 83 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1976 for his vocal performance on 'This Masquerade.'
- His album 'Breezin'' sold over three million copies, becoming a landmark crossover success for jazz.
- Earned ten Grammy Awards spanning categories from jazz instrumental to R&B performance.
- Recorded the classic jazz guitar album 'The George Benson Cookbook' while still in his early twenties.
Did You Know?
He first recorded as a vocalist at the age of 11, under the name 'Little Georgie Benson.'
Benson played the guitar solo on the 1974 pop hit 'The Greatest Love of All,' originally recorded by Muhammad Ali.
He is a Jehovah's Witness.
Before his solo breakthrough, he played guitar on Miles Davis's 1968 album 'Miles in the Sky.'
“I'm not a jazz musician. I'm a musician who plays jazz.”
