Watch Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit Cover I Wont Back Down, 40 Years Ago: ELO Prompts Tom Pettys Change of Heart, Win a Signed Tom Petty Live at the Fillmore 1997 Vinyl Set, Watch New Unseen Clips of Tom Pettys Fillmore Residency, 25 Years Ago: Why Tom Petty Was Grateful for Role in The Postman, Benmont Tench Doesnt Want to Play Another Heartbreakers Show, Joe Walsh, Blake Shelton Cover Tom Pettys I Wont Back Down, Win a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Fillmore Vinyl Box Set, Next: The Most Underrated Tom Petty Songs. Graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. with degrees in English and Communications. A guy who was not a saint, who was not perfect, who was flawed, who was this, that and the other, but there was no [bull]. My world world is fallen apart. Tom was the last person in the band that I expected ever to go. Afterwards, he sat in with the band on several different sessions, then went back to school. Tom was pronounced dead a day later. The thing to take away from the Beatles is the spirit in which it was done. It's only natural that the two greatest band keyboard players in the annals of rock would have formed a mutual admiration society. The records with the outtakes give you a certain picture of the way it went deeper, but the film, especially because you get to hear Tom talk so much, the film takes you further.. In 2002, Tom and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Photo by Martyn Atkins, courtesy of Warner Music & Petty Legacy, LLC. But as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Tenchs keyboards are indelibly etched on a slew of hits, from Refugee and Jammin Me to the Heartbreakers-backed hit for Stevie Nicks, Stop Draggin My Heart Around. Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Green Day: theyve all tapped Tench to lend his sublime keyboard sorcery to their songs. Neutral. Reunited after 30 years! 19990000. He didnt fake it. . Nicks also later expressed her concern about Petty that night. Mixed by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, White Zombie), the album kicks off with the visceral Halo Of Ashes, driven by Garry Lee . Public Opinion. [3], He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and subsequently Tulane University in New Orleans. Not many keyboard players can say theyve changed rock history, and Benmont Tench is far too modest to make such a claim. 17260 events. Produced by Glyn Johns (The Who, Eric Clapton, Eagles, The Beatles), "Lucky" spotlights Tench as smart songwriter, and a more-than-capable vocalist in the vein of Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan and Del Amitri's Justin Currie. It let me not go, 'Holy s--t. My world is fallen apart.' And the songs were kind of the touchstones, Wharton says. Benmont Tench first started playing with Tom Petty way back in the early 1970s, in their hometown of Gainesville, Florida, in a band Petty had formed with guitar players Mike Campbell and Tom Leadon called Mudcrutch. Vintage Cocktail Hour Playlist: Women's History Month Edition, Louisville ranks 3rd in U.S. for most premature deaths from coal-fired power pollution. huhhh??? What kind of feel did you shoot for on Lucky? My mothers mother had been a piano teacher, and both my parents played music. But it was an extraordinary experience. Brewed in Florida, aged to perfection in LA, the genius of Tom Petty was at it's very best with the Heartbreakers. Next . Willman observed that Petty's bandmates "scoffed" at the idea of the show being the last tour ever. Shop all Home & Garden. In addition, Tench is a skilled session musician and collaborated with numerous artists. Speaking to Billboard about the rocker's legacy, Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench elaborated on losing his friend and how he continues to cope with the sudden loss (Petty died of cardiac arrest). Like the ultimate sideman he is, not just to Tom Petty with his 30-something year tenure as Heartbreakers' keyboardist, but dozens of other high profile stars . X. The shows received rave reviews, with Variety's Chris Willmancommenting,"Petty and the Heartbreakers' 40th anniversary tour feels like a victory lap, but not a valedictory lap." ), Benmont Tench performs with Mudcrutch, the band he and Tom Petty played in before Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, during a reunion tour date at the Riviera Theatre on Saturday, May 28, 2016, in Chicago. Steve Winwood is a wild musical story. I have always been a Tom Petty fan, and only recently have discovered how wonderful a lyricist and singer Benmont is (in addition to his more renowned Piano/keyboard skills). Hed attended school with Petty and spent most of his life making music with the band leader. I think it was much later that even Tom realized, by talking with a therapist, that Wildflowers, the title track, is him talking to himself, and giving himself permission to feel free and to be free creatively and in his personal life. [6], In addition to playing piano and Hammond organ with the Heartbreakers, Tench is also a session musician, having recorded with dozens of notable artists.[7]. Next: The Stories Behind the 36 Covers from Tom Petty's 'Fillmore' Box, 40 Years Ago: ELO Prompts Tom Pettys Change of Heart, Win a Signed Tom Petty Live at the Fillmore 1997 Vinyl Set, Watch New Unseen Clips of Tom Pettys Fillmore Residency, Win a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Fillmore Vinyl Box Set, The Stories Behind the 36 Songs Tom Petty Covers on Fillmore LP, Hear Tom Petty Cover Call Me the Breeze at 1997 Fillmore Show, Watch Never-Before-Seen Clip of Tom Petty at the Fillmore in 1997, Original Tom Petty Drummer Nearly Refused Mike Campbells Reunion Offer. Benmont is known as a skilled session musician, having recorded with many notable artists. If they had access to AutoTune, it wouldnt have sounded as human. Tench grew up in Gainesville, Florida, as the son of Mary Catherine McInnis Tench and Benjamin Montmorency Tench, Jr., a circuit court judge. "Should the Bowl just get them on the books now?" The fact we knew and loved that music gave us a common musical language. (hoped he had more 'spare change' after such a full rock career) Tom Petty remembered in new documentary with, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Tom Petty remembered in new documentary with revealing, never-before-seen footage, This Oscar season, Asian representation is Everywhere as upstart indie is Academy front-runner, How The Year Between aims to show the full range of living with bipolar disorder, Jesus Revolution tells the true story of Christian hippies and an Orange County church, How The Quiet Girl became the first Irish-language film nominated for Academy Award, Frida Cinema celebrates its 9th birthday with The Big Lebowski and bowling, Amar Santana returns as contestant on Bravos Top Chef World All-Stars, HBOs Perry Mason returns steeped in LA noir with a hint of sunshine, The Bachelor star Zach Shallcross shares cringe moments as his season airs, the documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President,, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. Best known as the longtime pianist and keyboard player for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Benmont Tench is one of rock's most respected instrumentalists, as he's guested on countless recordings other artists. No rock critic could ever deign to critique the significance of Tom Petty any better than Benmont Tench, whose objectivity about the late superstar's creative prowess and personal appeal is not. Previous image. And I think some people who see the film will get an insight from it, too., The story Wharton and her team wove together felt true when Tench watched the film, which includes such classic songs as Its Good to Be King, You Wreck Me, and You Dont Know How It Feels.. Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench said the birth of his daughter two months after the death of Tom Petty had prevented him from falling apart. We didnt fake it. One day my cousin was over; he was a good athlete and could do anything. Nowadays the Heartbreakers play live in a rehearsal space with floor monitors, and Tom turns his mic around to face the band. Theres not a false thing on the record, on the whole thing, Tench says. Concerts. I was like, Nothing, me and the rest of America are in our sweatpants with nothing to do, Wharton says. We were shaking off the rust.". 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. Godspeed to her. 4965 events. Benmont played piano from an early age, and his first recital was at age 6. I have one in my house, but this was the first Hammond I ever owned and its been on every Heartbreakers record but the first two, and on every tour weve ever done since 78. Genre. He did many of those great records from 20 or 30 years ago, and I love the way he thinks and hears. "It's a pretty devastating song to sing more than once," she said later. "I just have to learn to rest a little bit, like everyone's telling me," he said. Heartbreakers Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell perform a special stripped down version of "American Girl" at the band's legendary recording and rehearsal space, The Clubhouse, in honor of the. Release Date. Tom Petty was an American actor, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter, who died one week after the completion of the Heartbreakers 40th-anniversary tour at the age of 66 (October 2, 2017) due to an accidental overuse of prescription drugs. Benmont Tench's birth flower is Aster/Myosotis. September 7, 1953 in Gainesville, FL. "I look back on that and what a magical moment that was," Nicks remembered. But you also catch how thoughtful he was about the record-making process and about the songwriting process.. In November 2016, he regrouped with the Heartbreakers (pictured in 1977) at their rehearsal space near Los Angeles to contemplate their upcoming 40th Anniversary Tour. For Recording at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, the band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tench also discusses why he says that Wildflowers wasnt really a solo album, the unreleased songs that are still in the vault, and his reluctance to ever perform as The Heartbreakers again. My parents had an ivory chess set they got in the 1940s and it was breathtaking because it had so much soul. ", The extensiveTom Petty and the Heartbreakers Live at the Fillmore (1997) box set arrived last month. [12] It was the mid-'60s and Tench was 11 or 12, Petty three years older. 2008 album featuring original members fellow Heartbreakers Benmont Tench, and Mike Campbell. At age 11, he happened to meet Elvis Presley, who was shooting a film near Petty's hometown of Gainesville. He had his friends that he would speak to about this, that, and the other, and speak to in a certain way. On February 18, 2014, Tench released his first solo album, entitled "You Should Be So Lucky". [17] Their daughter Catherine Gabriella Winter was born on December 16, 2017.[18]. [] And then, of course, she turned into one of my great, great friends forever. Keyboardist Benmont Tench told Rolling Stone's Andy Greene that at the jam, "We mainly did cover songs. But his version of American Girl is out of this world. Petty, an uncomplicated, easygoing musician from Florida, would have likely laughed at that, but to millions of fans around the world, his loss was a devastating, unforeseen surprise that saddened the music world. "You can't tour like that," Dimitriades said. So you have a relationship with somebody, but there were a lot of sides to him that I didnt know, and I saw him so much.. Thanks for your music! Get the latest news right in your inbox at 6 a.m. Five dead, thousands without power in Ky. following thunderstorms and high winds. Nicks didn't make an appearance at Petty's Red Rocks gig, but she did play alongside him in July at London's Hyde Park. Previous image. News; Watch Live; Local News; Traffic; National; World; Entertainment A go-to ace for the Stones, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Fiona Apple and a ridiculous number of others, Benmont Tench earned his crown via his day job with Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker About Benmont Tench. I quit school at 19 to play with him full-time. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. Sat Apr 01 2023 at 10:00 am 2023 Pekingese Club of GA Specialty Show. That said, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers prepared for the tour to kick off in Oklahoma City on April 20. Born in Florida in 1950, Petty endured an abusive home life. Petty was indeed humbled, telling the audience, "Twenty years ago, I would have been way too cynical to do this, but I'm 66 now.". (Photo by Robert Sebree), It isnt that you take them for granted, says Tench on a recent call about his late bandmate. But because I had a daughter coming, I had to take care of my wife.. His collaborator and bandmate of over 40 years, Tom Petty, was in the hospital, after being found in his home unconscious, not breathing and in full cardiac arrest. Additional Details ----- Format: import. ", In the meantime, Tench confirmed that there's still material in the vault that could potentially be released at some point. Keyboardist Benmont Tench also uses his time to work with other classic rock artists. The relationship I think I would have with him now, and the conversations I would love to have with him now, would doubtless be different, he says. Mostly, I enjoyed hearing Tom talking about the record, he says. "Without Tom, it's like, are the Rolling Stones going to play without Keith [Richards]? [8] Tench penned one of the songs on the album, named "The Price," sung by Sara Watkins and himself. That, Wharton says, gave the film a more personal glimpse of both man and artist. There was an inner force driving him.". Here he was in his middle age, and hes opening up his heart and showing it to you, and thats a beautiful thing, Wharton says. Tench emphasized that he was only speaking for himself, not his bandmates. His first recital was at age six. I really loved that it caught things like him pretending to play the French horn that are goofy and silly and funny because he had a side that was really off the cuff. The Tom Petty website recounted that after a full half-hour of rain, the storm passed as the road crew took the stage to uncover the band's gear. Benmont Tench Net Worth | Wife (Alice Carbone), https://www.bostonglobe.com/tench-songs-from-recording-career-tom-petty-and-heartbreakers, https://variety.com/benmont-tench-wildflowers-tom-petty-heartbreakers-all-rest-interview, https://www.grammy.com/grammysits-hard-and-its-still-hard-heartbreakers-keyboardist-benmont, Harry Knowles Net Worth | Wife (Patricia Cho Jones), Phoebe Combes Net Worth | Biography & Age. But he was far more than just a. In March 2019, Benmont played three shows with Phil Lesh & Friends (an American rock band) at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. 13 Concerts. Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench was expecting a call about the next tour in early-October of 2017 when his phone rang with much worse news. Benmont did so much great work Hope he is otherwise okay. Its not a job. According toThe Sound, Petty would later recall that when Nicks first befriended him, "We were a little wary of Stevie. Later, singer Shania Twain showed up, according toRolling Stone, and told Nicks, "I'm going to be greedy right now. He had also played at the Super Bowl, went solo for a bit, joined up with other famous musicians to form the Traveling Wilburys, and resurrected Mudcrutch. Freedom (B-Side of Butterfly)Dust emerged in July 1996, featuring guest spots from Benmont Tench, on loan from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. Search. So I just dove into this archive of beautiful footage and incredible music. "He was also someone I looked up to enormously.". Tench also reunited with Mudcrutch to record the band's second album, Mudcrutch 2. It was not the circle-of-life lesson that I wanted. 91.9 WFPK Music | KyCIR Investigations, PublishedJanuary 20, 2023 at 2:58 PM EST, Kyle is the WFPK Music Director. Release Date. Sometimes you work with somebody youve never heard of because you just feel like working., My father told me one day when I was maybe ten, just playing the piano, Youre playing too much. He said it kindly, and he was right., I went to college and majored in Art. There was no time to really deal with it, since the tour was kicking off soon, and Petty, ever mindful of his fans, did not want to disappoint anyone. "It isn't the Heartbreakers without hell, our rhythm guitar player and occasional lead guitar player. Raitt nailed this staggeringly intimate ballad in one take. Any live gigs planned? [11] Tench also added keyboard parts to Stevie Nicks' album 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault. I was 10 when they showed upShe Loves You was just a marvel of joy and emotion. At age 11, Tench met Tom Petty for the first time at a Gainesville music store. Producers: Jim Scott, Benmont Tench, Doyle Bramhall II. 19990000. Tench would drop out of college a few years. The Heartbreakers' last stop on the tour was a three-day stint at the Hollywood Bowl in September. Although the album opens with "Green Light Girl," a frenetic tune with lots of rockin . Despite the decades spent together on vans and buses and planes, the days and nights in cheap lodgings and fancy hotels, and the thousands of hours in recording studios and on stage, Tench says the new documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, which arrives on YouTube on Thursday, Nov. 11, showed him more of Petty than he knew. Billboardreported on the event, which featured over three hours of performances by such music greats as the Bangles, the Foo Fighters, George Strait, Jeff Lynne, Randy Newman, and Petty's longtime friend, Stevie Nicks. I was always impressed that she didnt lead with that, Wharton says. Thats because Glyn Johns produced and engineered it. Well, he goes over to our piano, and he did that thing with the black keyswhere you roll them with your knuckles, back and forthand I was intrigued. In early December, the upcoming tour was announced onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, with Petty appearing in a comical sketch about it via his studio. Thats the difference between what The Beatles did and the cutting edge of technology today. Its a Mason and Hamlin 1928 grand piano. Other articles where Benmont Tench is discussed: Tom Petty: former members, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, joined Ron Blair and Stan Lynch to form Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. ), Tom Petty and producer Rick Rubin as seen in the new documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers, which debuts on YouTube on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. It was the mid-'60s and Tench was 11 or 12, Petty three years older. In 2008, Benmont became part of a group named The Scrolls. The group is composed of: Currently, they are officially known as Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).. Check out Benmont Tench on Amazon Music. 593 Tench Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 593 Tench Premium High Res Photos Browse 593 tench stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. . Tom Petty had been nominated for 18 Grammy awards, scoring three wins (perGrammy.com). I had always been a fan of his music, but I really fell in love with him as a person.. In addition, Tench worked as a session musician for artists like Bonnie Raitt, Neil Diamond, and Bob Dylan. He was not well." He mentions that as an artist hes always trying to get better, which isnt that surprising, but he goes on to say, Because Ive always thought of myself as not very good, she says. The post was aimed at Rolling Stone, reading, "My dad is not dead yet but your f*cking magazine is." As is typical of Colorado in spring, a wicked thunderstorm struck on the second night at Red Rocks, forcing the band backstage as fans (bedecked in "Petty" ponchos), scrambled to take cover. Top Brands. ), Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers, is a new documentary from director Mary Wharton. When the band started, everyone was together day and night, Tench says. Email Kyle at, Louisville Public Media | Just two weeks after Hyde Park, according tothe Tom Petty website,keyboardist Benmont Tench came down with a cold. Nicks was so concerned about Petty that she felt he should have canceled the tour. Catherine came in December, Tom died in October, Tench said. Born . At age 11, Tench met Tom Petty for the first time at a Gainesville music store. Benmont and Petty played together as members of the Sundowners in 1964. (Photo by Martyn Atkins, courtesy of Warner Music & Petty Legacy, LLC. Petty fondly remembered, "We jammed for a few days and had the amps up loud," according toHear and Now. "You know that Tom Petty is my favorite rock star!" The set came in two volumes, each featuring seven albums on a dozen vinyl records, and was released between November and December. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. Tony Dimitriades posted the news on the Tom Petty website: "On behalf of the Tom Petty family, we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend Tom Petty." Petty and Tench played together as members of The Sundowners in 1964. A guy named Bill Beer modified it, and he was secretive. Tench and Tom met in high school and began playing in bands together when they were teenagers. It let me not go, Holy shit. At the start of her career when she was working at the VH1 music channel, she flew to Los Angeles to interview Petty for a short documentary on Wildflowers, a solo record though it included all but one of the Heartbreakers in the band Petty and producer Rick Rubin put together. Most importantly, Petty died "beautifully exhausted after doing what he loved the most, for one last time, performing live with his unmatchable rock band for his loyal fans." Who is Benmont Tenchs wife? The piano I play at home I got 7 or 8 years ago, and Nicky Hopkins played it at his house. We just went to the studio and followed his lead. ", The Importance of Tom Pettys Wildflowers. It saved me, having my daughter. Its very much live in the studio. Tench had already worked with Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, Adria Petty, and Tom Pettys widow Dana Petty on a sprawling box set of Wildflowers outtakes, alternate versions, and live tracks. Thats not how the Heartbreakers worked. It was magical. Which pieces of gear are your absolute favorites? Adria Petty and producer Peter Afterman told her that theyd recently unearthed an archive of film shot in the mid-90s as Petty was working on Wildflowers, most of which had never before been seen, and asked Wharton if she wanted to shape it into a documentary film. Two decades later in early 2020, not long after the pandemic sent the world into lockdown, Adria Petty called Wharton, whod just finished the documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President, and asked what she was working on. [9], In 2009, Tench frequently appeared with the Watkins Family Hour at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles. This record is the real thing.. Although the stance was somewhat typical of Petty in concert, there was definitely more to it that night. Variety reports that the new song features Red Hot Chilli Peppers' guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and drummer Chad Smith, alongside Hammond organ by Benmont Tench, of The Heartbreakers-fame. What it told her was that Petty was never one to rest of his laurels. And when it goes to vinyl I can sink my teeth into it even more. In May, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers spent two nights playing Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, a gorgeous natural rock formation with a built-in outdoor theater which has featured musical entertainment since 1941, according toColorado Encyclopedia. Brown, currently on tour with Phish, has been Tench's keyboard tech for 31 of these years, but has remarkably seen little change in the vintage-minded keyboardist's live rig during that time. CNN published an alleged Instagram postfrom Petty's daughter, AnnaKim Petty. Alice Carbone Tench October 24, 2019 Thank you, @uclahealth for taking such a good care of my husband, @benmonttench The entire staff at both ER and hospital was amazing, kind, with a great sense of humor, patient and understanding. Benmont Tench Concert History. Benmont left Tulane University to play with Mudcrutch. And a dog named Buddy. So saying, Twain joined Nicks at the side of the stage and watched Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform, and the two sang along "at the top of [their] lungs." eBay item number: 125797211311. . [16], In 1991, Tench married Canadian model Courtney Taylor. They released a self-titled album in September 2009. Producer Glyn Johns' famous drum mic technique. Pop/Rock. Baby Health & Safety Shop All . Jeff Lynne and Dave Ste. [2] Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early on, Petty had also gained the musical nation's respect when, according toNewsweek,he had the guts to take on record labels who habitually put their musicians into debt. And then it was like this box of sunshine had dropped out of the sky into my arms. It saved me, having my daughter. Peter Larsen has been the Pop Culture Reporter for the Orange County Register since 2004, finally achieving the neat trick of getting paid to report and write about the stuff he's obsessed about pretty much all his life. As a teenager, Tench met another up-and-coming rocker, Tom Petty, at a local music store. Keep in mind that we grew up in the same area, Gainesville, Fla., and listened to the same radio stations. Benmont Tench talks with Kyle Meredith about Live at The Fillmore 1997, the new Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers box set that collects highlights from the band's famed 20-night sold out run. Its how were doing our new record, how we did the last record [Mojo] and how we did the Mudcrutch record [released in 2008]. That he was always going to be striving for different ways to express himself. Are you going to get a guy that has that swing in his rhythm? (Photo by Robert Sebree, courtesy of Warner Music & Petty Legacy, LLC. Benmont Tench first met Tom Petty in a Gainesville, Florida music shop. To this day, people say to me, Why dont you get another singer? Best known as a founding member of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers . Tom also recorded a number of hit singles as a solo artist as well as with the Heartbreakers. Engineer/producer Ryan Ulyat has been the primary person working on the band's archival projects since Petty's death in 2017. And on the band's first night out at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed to a more-than-pleased crowd, according toJambase. 1 at 17 with Spencer Davis Group, considered a boy wonder who could play every instrument, joins a super group with Clapton, falls into obscurity, nearly forgotten, then comes roaring back in the 80s to dominate the charts . "He should've canceled," she said later, "and he should've just gone home and gone to the hospital.
