Eight years later, the couple divorced. 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. The post was aimed at Rolling Stone, reading, "My dad is not dead yet but your f*cking magazine is." "You can't tour like that," Dimitriades said. "I mean, you can't imagine someone hitting a child like that," he said. And the fact we loved the way Tom wrote gave us a vision and a focus. 9. "Why not?" So its like the maiden voyage of the Titanic, and the goal is not to hit the iceberg. He says he's open to the idea of playing with the others in various groupings, but that things simply aren't the same without Petty. Born on September 7, 1953, in Gainesville, Florida, Tench took up piano at an early age, playing recitals at the age of six. Nicks also later expressed her concern about Petty that night. [1], Tench played piano from an early age. Take us to the moment when the light bulb went offthat you knew you wanted to play keyboards. Sometimes he played bass. "I have a granddaughter now I'd like to see as much as I can." But his version of American Girl is out of this world. If they had access to AutoTune, it wouldnt have sounded as human. It was believed that a venomous snake would die if placed in a vessel made of sapphire. Tench also reunited with Mudcrutch to record the band's second album, Mudcrutch 2. Wed love to see you hit the road in support of your album. And here you are full circle, living out that childhood dream. Later, this group became Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers., In 2014, Tench released his debut solo album, titled You Should Be So Lucky.. In the late evening of October 1, Tom Petty "was found unconscious, not breathing and in full cardiac arrest" at his home in Malibu, California, according toTMZ. Considering you played a key role in forming it, where do you think The Heartbreakers sound comes from? 2857 events Tom Petty's Heartbreakers bandmates are still grieving the death of their longtime frontman, but keyboardist Benmont Tench has announced that he will continue with his previous plan to perform a solo show at the end of October. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. Benmont Tench III has helped create the musical fabric of hundreds of records, both as a founding member and piano/organ player of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a session musician on . We had this conversation with Mike and Ben and Rick Rubin that was a little bit of a free-flowing conversation, where they might start talking about one thing and it leads to talk about something else. Thankfully, he has his family to ground him, he said. He was such a classic Southern gentleman, says Wharton, who like Petty, grew up in northern Florida. (Photo by Robert Sebree, courtesy of Warner Music & Petty Legacy, LLC. But Petty also hinted heavily that the tour might be his last, tellingRolling Stone,"I'm thinking it may be the last trip around the country," or at least the last big tour. The band then launched into "Swingin'" from their 1999 album Echo, with Petty adapting some of the lyrics to fit the storm that had just passed through. Active. 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 Amitris Justin Currie. He was born in Gainesville, Florida (September . Its how were doing our new record, how we did the last record [Mojo] and how we did the Mudcrutch record [released in 2008]. ), 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 Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. [5], Mudcrutch eventually evolved into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. My dad, who was a judge, played guitar and piano. At age 11, Tench met Tom Petty for the first time at a Gainesville music store. Which pieces of gear are your absolute favorites? "So Tom," she said, "I know you're standing next to me 'cause you always have been for so many years. Producer Glyn Johns' famous drum mic technique. "I'd hug every one of you if I could," Petty told his fans. My only role in The Heartbreakers is to play the songs the best way I can. He said of Petty: Id known him since I was 17. " But Harrington apparently didn't see what Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, who opened the concert, saw. Nothing felt at all manipulated or edited to be a certain version of a story. Includes Tom Petty originals plus covers recorded completely live in the studio over 10 days. 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. 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.. [] Tom was also making up songs on the spot. "It isn't the Heartbreakers without hell, our rhythm guitar player and occasional lead guitar player. Hes very interactive with his fans. "We always recorded more than what we put out, but we always put out what we thought was the very best," he told Meredith, "but fairly often, I would wonder why a song had been left off the record. Submit Corrections. Oops, looks like you forgot something. Sometimes he played guitar. Keep in mind that we grew up in the same area, Gainesville, Fla., and listened to the same radio stations. This record is the real thing.. Home Benmont Tench Net Worth | Wife (Alice Carbone). Pop/Rock. "I hope it comes out because I think it's cool," Tench said, "but there's even more. Fans would be touched to know that even during his final year, Tom Petty had plans lots of them. In 1991, Benmont Tench married Courtney Taylor, a Canadian-born fashion model. Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench said the birth of his daughter two months after the death of Tom Petty had prevented him from falling apart. This film is part and parcel of the same thing, Tench says. Tench and his wife welcomed their first daughter, named Catherine Gabriella Winter, on December 16, 2017. Just two weeks after Hyde Park, according tothe Tom Petty website,keyboardist Benmont Tench came down with a cold. 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. Tench has worked extensively with other musicians, playing keyboards on hundreds of songs on albums such as Stevie Nicks' Bella Donna, Bob Dylan's Shot of Love, along with other musical greats such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Alanis Morissette, Eurythmics, Fiona Apple, U2, X (American band) among many more. Earned a master's degree at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. First no. Joe Walsh kicked things off before the band opened with an old favorite, "Rockin' Around (With You)," from their debut album so many years ago. By. Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench said the birth of his daughter two months after the death of Tom Petty had prevented him from falling apart. He was not well." [12] Its a Mason and Hamlin 1928 grand piano. . There are 115 days left in the year. He offered to do it a while ago and so I finally took him up on it. Mention of Red Rocks and Tom Petty isn't complete without Stevie Nicks, who has played the famed amphitheater numerous times. Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin Montmorency Tench Jr. and Mary Catherine McInnis Tench. 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). Thanks for sticking with us through the storm." 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." In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I need to watch this show with you." The group released a self-titled album in September 2009. Check out Benmont Tench on Amazon Music. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. 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). Tom was the last person in the band that I expected ever to go. On the eve of its Feb. 18 release, Tench talked to Reverb about the new effort, his favorite gear, his time with Tom Petty, and his love of a Liverpool band that changed his life. 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. Neither knew it was the last time they would see Petty sing. Personal Opinion. Its a lovely way to record. 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. Heres a guy who at that point had gold records all over his wall, and Grammys and hit records, Wharton says. "Should the Bowl just get them on the books now?" Benmont Tench first met Tom Petty in a Gainesville, Florida music shop. Born on September 7, 1953, in Gainesville, Florida, Tench took up piano at an early age, playing recitals at the age of six. 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. [15] He also played on three songs from The Who's album WHO, released in December 2019. [3], He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and subsequently Tulane University in New Orleans. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. Nicks applauded Petty's brave decision to finish his 40th Anniversary Tour, concluding with a parting word that was felt by so many who knew and loved him. For Wharton, theres a moment in the film that she still thinks about months later. Best known as a founding member of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers . And the film, really, really brings that to light.. In addition to Tench, musicians who collaborated with Watkins Family Hour include: Tench earned most of his wealth from being part of the band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was magical. I did learn from things Tom said because he would never say, Hey Ben, come here, I want to tell you whats on my mind while Im making the album.. Tench would drop out of college a few years. He says he's open to the idea of playing with the others in various groupings, but that things. (Photo by Martyn Atkins, courtesy of Warner Music & Petty Legacy, LLC. found in his home unconscious, not breathing. Theres not a false thing on the record, on the whole thing, Tench says. My parents had an ivory chess set they got in the 1940s and it was breathtaking because it had so much soul. 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). Neutral. It says exactly what I want to say, the way I want to say it, he explained. He released his debut solo album, You Should Be So Lucky, in . Keyboardist Benmont Tench told Rolling Stone's Andy Greene that at the jam, "We mainly did cover songs. [3] Petty responded, "I'll do it in a chair if I have to." We were shaking off the rust.". A lot of it is simply that his passing freed me and made me more of an adult. He grew up, in order, in California, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oregon. 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. For his work with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch, see, [benmont-phil-lesh-friends-march-1801016], The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, "Memories of Petty: How singer found way in area", "Tom Petty returns to his roots with Mudcrutch", "From Side Player to Frontman: Benmont Tench on Solo Debut, Playing With Tom Petty and Bob Dylan", "Heartbreakers, Imposters, Nickel Creekers Make The Scrolls", "Ten songs with prolific sideman Benmont Tench", "Watkins Family Hour - Debut Album out July 24th, 2015", "Wilco, R.E.M. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Tench juxtaposed the agony of Tom's death with the joy that came a few weeks later when his daughter was born. Benmont left Tulane University to play with Mudcrutch. Release Date. Three long months later, Rolling Stone reported that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner had found numerous drugs in Petty's system. Shop all Home & Garden. Reunited after 30 years! Email Kyle at, Louisville Public Media | 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. Winwood and Tench combined for an exciting interplay on keys, and Campell's guitar soared - as did Winwood's voice; he sang far better and reached harder than he did on his own set. Petty's family further explained (viathe Tom Petty website)that on the day he died, Petty was told that his fractured hip was now broken. 19990000. When nothing came of it at the time, he forgot all about it until he was shown what had been captured on the beautiful black and white film. The meeting "kicked off my love of music," according to Petty, who would later say that "I'd never thought much about rock n' roll until that moment." It brought a vital center to my life., Tench said he was now nearing completion of a solo album featuring a tiny, compact band as a result of the pandemic. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP), Tom Petty as seen in the new documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers, which debuts on YouTube on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. Benmont Tench at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2, New York, NY, USA Artist: Benmont Tench , Venue: Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 , New York, NY, USA The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar Love Will Tear Us Apart Back in the U.S.A. ", What The Final 12 Months Of Tom Petty's Life Was Like. 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. "If we had a reason, then I would be all aboard," Campbell added. Because I was a member of a band following the captain, and now Im just my own adult.. "Shania got to stand there with me and watch my boys.". He'd attended school with Petty and spent. And whether it was his song we were doing or a cover, that was my singer. 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. In March 2019, Benmont played three shows with Phil Lesh & Friends (an American rock band) at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. His first recital was at age six. My favorite is my Hammond C3 organ that I got in 1978. In addition, Tom was a member of the late 1980s supergroup called Traveling Wilburys.. And thats all the live shows I have planned for now; I hope it doesnt give me panic attacks or that people walk out bored en masse. 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. 12848 events. Next . Led Zeppelin didn't continue.". The . Former Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench isn't interested in playing again as the Heartbreakers. Running the gamut from retro garage rock to rain-on-the-window balladry, it's a poised disc well worth checking out. ", The extensiveTom Petty and the Heartbreakers Live at the Fillmore (1997) box set arrived last month. I figured. They did a wonderful job, he says. Its like this: Youve seen beautiful, laser-cut pieces of wood, but have you seen things cut by hand? The set came in two volumes, each featuring seven albums on a dozen vinyl records, and was released between November and December. Earned his first newspaper paycheck at the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, fled the Midwest for Los Angeles Daily News and finally ended up at the Orange County Register. We followed what felt good, and what made sense, she says. "You know that Tom Petty is my favorite rock star!" 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." Petty and Tench played together as members of The Sundowners in 1964. Next . Brewed in Florida, aged to perfection in LA, the genius of Tom Petty was at it's very best with the Heartbreakers. The band's eponymous debut album, released in 1976, initially caused little stir in the United States, but the single "Breakdown" was a smash in Britain, and, when it was re-released In a message posted to his fan club and to Instagram, Tom Petty's longtime collaborator gave thanks to… Continue reading Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers . Public Opinion. Nothing on this record went anywhere near digital until it was readied for CD. I'd rather go watch The Lion King! Also, we shared a real love for each other., He addedthat "it isnt that Im in denial, but my world just changed. Thanks for your music! Benmont Tench 03.08.14 13 12 Wks 03.08.14 2 View full chart history Sign Up. Videos by American Songwriter. Benmont Tench's birthstone is Sapphire. It let me not go, 'Holy s--t. My world is fallen apart.' Never forget the dog. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Mudcrutch. [13][14], In March 2019, Tench played three shows with Phil Lesh & Friends at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. I cant do that now. But you also catch how thoughtful he was about the record-making process and about the songwriting process.. In 2016, he played the Fleetwood Mac tribute at the Fonda Theater, in Los Angeles; he performed the song "Silver Springs" with Courtney Love. Somehow managed to get a lovely lady to marry him, and with her have two daughters. Its very much live in the studio. Tench emphasized that he was only speaking for himself, not his bandmates. You had to cut bits of tape, throw it up in the air, and see how it came back together. Get the latest news right in your inbox at 6 a.m. Five dead, thousands without power in Ky. following thunderstorms and high winds. Benmont Tench on the New Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Set and Unreleased Vault Songs 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 infamous 20 night sold out run. According toThe Sound, Petty would later recall that when Nicks first befriended him, "We were a little wary of Stevie. He regularly covers the Oscars and the Emmys, goes to Comic-Con and Coachella, reviews pop music, and conducts interviews with authors and actors, musicians and directors, a little of this and a whole lot of that. Watkins Family Hour is a bluegrass musical collaborative led by Sean and Sara Watkins. With the commemorative set coming out, Tom Petty made other plans, too. Former Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench isn't interested in playing again as the Heartbreakers. Enjoying his music right now! Are you going to get a guy that has that swing in his rhythm? 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. It didnt do that. Petty and Tench played together as members of The Sundowners in 1964. 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. He went on to describe life after the Heartbreakers as an "alternate universe." Running the gamut from retro garage rock to rain-on-the-window balladry, its a poised disc well worth checking out. Indeed, in his last interview, with Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times, Petty remained dedicated to doing even more. The tour was announced in December and would consist of all of the old Heartbreakers favorites. Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III is an American musician and singer, best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Nowadays the Heartbreakers play live in a rehearsal space with floor monitors, and Tom turns his mic around to face the band. The only other person I ever wanted to make a record with was [Heartbreakers bassist] Howie Epstein, and he passed away in 2003. Several minutes later, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers took the stage once more. Dylan Owens from the Denver Post's The Know called the show"a memorable one," with the band playing from "a seemingly bottomless bucket of hits." "Better safe than sorry, I guess," Petty told the audience. My mothers mother had been a piano teacher, and both my parents played music. And when it goes to vinyl I can sink my teeth into it even more. He had been in the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison and Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne, a pretty elite group to be in.. It was like a gift from heaven for me to work on this film.. To me, that was kind of the most surprising, and at the same time, the most lovely thing I discovered.. Ill also do a few nights at Largo in L.A. from Feb. 20-22. Sat Apr 01 2023 at 10:00 am 2023 Pekingese Club of GA Specialty Show. 1970s - 2010s. Top sources. Tench singing with the Heartbreakers at Hollywood Bowl. He says there are also"one or two really great songs" that were recorded in 1973 three years before the band's debut album in Tench's parents' living room, "completely live to two track.". -Cheers, Benmont Tench!! Benmont Tench was a Florida-born boy who never forgot his southern roots, even while playing keyboards in one of the hottest bands of the 1980s, The Heartbreakers. In addition, Tench worked as a session musician for artists like Bonnie Raitt, Neil Diamond, and Bob Dylan. Producers: Jim Scott, Benmont Tench, Doyle Bramhall II. I was 10 when they showed upShe Loves You was just a marvel of joy and emotion. ), Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as seen in the new documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers, which debuts on YouTube on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. View wiki rock singer-songwriter soft rock thrilling adventure hour usa Add tags View all tags 1.3mil was just the house he sold to Mike Campbell. Tench grew up in Gainesville, Florida, as the son of Mary Catherine McInnis Tench and Benjamin Montmorency Tench, Jr., a circuit court judge. Benmont Tench's Live Rig Keyboard - November 2009 "Benmont's had the same Hammond C-3 organ for 35 years," longtime keyboard tech Kevin Brown tells me. Additional Details ----- Format: import. At this point its absolutely blood.