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I wanted to share a little about where I’m from and how I got to where I am.
I was born & raised in Florence / Muscle Shoals: North Alabama; a place steeped in musical history. My journey started early: In reality, my first “onstage” performances were actually from inside my mom’s belly, while she sang with a traveling church group!
Banjo was my first instrument (I started at age 8 or 9), but songwriting took a bit longer to cultivate. Like most folks, my first real song was a long heartbreak ballad song I rarely ever play anymore. That song, for the most part was written pretty quickly, but nowadays I take a little more time and craftsmanship whenever I sit down with the intention to write music.
I’ve been lucky to have some unforgettable moments along the way. One of my favorites was sitting in at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach, Florida, singing “Just the Two of Us” with THE Funky Drummer, Jabo Starks, behind the kit. That’s the kind of memory that sticks with you.
At one of my earliest gigs, my first time playing banjo in front of anybody as a kid, I earned the nickname “Benjammin” and it stuck! Another time, my folk duo (now a trio) forgot to write-out a setlist beforehand, so I scrawled one out on the back of a paper-plate in the green room, a handful of young fans in Burlington watched in amazement before we got set and started jammin,’ opening up for an awesome band from down-under Civil Twilight.
P.S. There’s a hot debate about the right way to eat cereal, and I’ve got a strong opinion. I’ll be sharing my controversial “Right” way IMO the only “Correct” method of enjoying cereal in an upcoming video–so keep an eye out!
Thanks again for being here and sharing in my story. If you’ve got a fun breakfast memory or a question about my journey–I’d love to hear from you!
See you at the table,
Ben