Bob Bennett (singer-songwriter)
Encyclopedia
Bob Bennett is an American Christian
singer, guitarist and songwriter from Downey, California
. Bennett is known for his distinctive baritone voice, Christian lyrics and folk-inspired guitar playing.
. He picked up his first guitar at age nine and formed a rock 'n' roll band in high school. In the late seventies he converted to Christianity and his songwriting began to reflect his newfound faith.
His career was launched with the release of his 1979 folk-style debut recording First Things First. Three years later came Matters of the Heart, a recording Contemporary Christian Music Magazine
voted 1982's "Album of the Year", ranking it among the top 20 contemporary Christian albums of all time. Soon after the release of his next recording, Non-Fiction, he served as opening act on Amy Grant
's Unguarded tour. Lord of the Past: A Compilation followed, which peaked at 30th position on Billboard
magazine's Top Contemporary Christian chart in 1990. The album's title song reached number one on the Christian radio charts in early 1990. This was followed by Bennett's second number one song: "Yours Alone".
Later in 1990 Bob joined Michael Card
on his The Way of Wisdom tour, performing in front of sold-out audiences across the country. Bob credits his tour with Michael Card as being the only reason he had a career in 1990 and 1991. Songs from Bright Avenue was released in 1991, a collection of songs he wrote while struggling with the dissolution of his marriage. Bob's most recent CD is Christmastide, released in 2009.
Bob plays a Kevin Ryan guitar.
Bob is currently signed with Signpost Communications.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
singer, guitarist and songwriter from Downey, California
Downey, California
Downey is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is best known as the birthplace of the Apollo space program, and is the city where folk singer Karen Carpenter lived and died...
. Bennett is known for his distinctive baritone voice, Christian lyrics and folk-inspired guitar playing.
Career
Bennett was born on March 21, 1955 in Downey, CaliforniaDowney, California
Downey is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is best known as the birthplace of the Apollo space program, and is the city where folk singer Karen Carpenter lived and died...
. He picked up his first guitar at age nine and formed a rock 'n' roll band in high school. In the late seventies he converted to Christianity and his songwriting began to reflect his newfound faith.
His career was launched with the release of his 1979 folk-style debut recording First Things First. Three years later came Matters of the Heart, a recording Contemporary Christian Music Magazine
CCM Magazine
CCM Magazine was a monthly magazine published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. It was first published in July 1978, and it has always been a Christian music magazine. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the...
voted 1982's "Album of the Year", ranking it among the top 20 contemporary Christian albums of all time. Soon after the release of his next recording, Non-Fiction, he served as opening act on Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
's Unguarded tour. Lord of the Past: A Compilation followed, which peaked at 30th position on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's Top Contemporary Christian chart in 1990. The album's title song reached number one on the Christian radio charts in early 1990. This was followed by Bennett's second number one song: "Yours Alone".
Later in 1990 Bob joined Michael Card
Michael Card
Michael Card is an American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in Contemporary Christian Music, which couple folk-style melodies and instrumentation with lyrics that stem from intensive study of the Bible...
on his The Way of Wisdom tour, performing in front of sold-out audiences across the country. Bob credits his tour with Michael Card as being the only reason he had a career in 1990 and 1991. Songs from Bright Avenue was released in 1991, a collection of songs he wrote while struggling with the dissolution of his marriage. Bob's most recent CD is Christmastide, released in 2009.
Bob plays a Kevin Ryan guitar.
Bob is currently signed with Signpost Communications.
Solo Releases
- First Things FirstFirst Things First (Bob Bennett album)First Things First is Bob Bennett's first release. It was released about three years after he became a Christian.-Track listing:All songs written by Bob Bennett, except where noted.#"Carpenter Gone Bad?" – 3:32#"The Night Shift" – 6:34...
(Maranatha! Music, 1979) (04/2007: Limited Edition Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Release) - Matters Of The HeartMatters of the Heart (Bob Bennett album)Matters Of The Heart is Bob Bennett's second release. In January 1983, CCM Magazine named this album "Album Of The Year - 1982!" CCM Magazine later named Matter of the Heart as one of the "Top 20 Christian Albums Of All Time".-Track listing:...
(CBS/Priority, 1982) (05/22/2007: Re-released on iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and in Mp3 format on Amazon) - Non-FictionNon-Fiction (Bob Bennett album)-Track listing:All songs written by Bob Bennett, except where noted.#"Savior Of The World" – 5:44#"Waking/Falling Dream" – 2:43#"Where The Shadows Fall Like Rain" – 3:43#"Numbers Game" – 4:20#"The View From Kenmar Lane" – 3:45...
(Star Song, 1985) (05/22/2007: Re-released on iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and in Mp3 format on Amazon) - Lord of the Past: A CompilationLord of the Past: A CompilationLord of the Past: A Compilation is a 1989 album by Bob Bennett, his fourth release and only true official 'greatest hits' compilation, including four new songs...
(Urgent Records, 1989) (Out-of-Print) - Songs from Bright AvenueSongs from Bright AvenueSongs From Bright Avenue is Bob Bennett's fifth release. The album was made in the shadow of Bob's divorce from his first wife; to quote Bob himself, "I was 'foolish' enough to make a record about my divorce. The normal [procedure] in Christian music is that if you go through a divorce, you...
(Urgent Records, 1991; Re-release by Signpost Music, 2003) - Small GracesSmall GracesSmall Graces is Bob Bennett's sixth release.Phil Naish recorded the tracks on Small Graces by having Bob come into the studio and record each track solo , along with a click track; to obtain Bob's most natural performance. Then the other players were brought in to play around that initial solo track...
(Covenant Artists, 1997) - The View from Here (Signpost Music, 2002)
- My Heart Across the Ocean (single, 2002)
- ChristmastideChristmastide (Bob Bennett album)Christmastide is Bob Bennett's eighth album; his second with the Signpost Music label. In this release, Bob captures many of Western Civilization's love/hate relationship with the Christmas season.-Track listing:...
(Self-Released, 2009)
Songs in other projects
- "Place I Am Bound" -- Track #2 on Fast Folk FF708 Vol. 9 #8 November 1993, Los Angeles Revisited (still available from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)
- "Beautiful, Scandalous Night" -- Track #3 on At the Foot of the Cross--Vol. 1: Clouds, Rain, Fire
- "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name", "Born To Die", "In The Bleak Midwinter" -- Tracks on Christmas In Our Time (Urgent!, 2004)
- "Strange Joy" -- Track #3 on Music of Proclaim!, volume 3: There Is A Way
- "Hand of Kindness", "Unto the Least of These", "Our Codependent Love", and "Defiant Lamb" -- Tracks #3, #5, #8, & #11, respectively, on Return of the Killer B's (Live from Memphis)
Collaborations and other credits
- background vocals on Billy Crockett's albums: Any Starlight Night (Urgent Records, 1994) & Watermarks (Walking Angel Records, 1998)
- Six String PrayersSix String PrayersSix String Prayers is the first collaboration between Bob Bennett and John Standefer. Bob mostly sings, and John mostly plays guitar, but they do each both play or sing on some tracks .-Track listing:...
, John Standefer (guitar) & Bob Bennett (vocals) (2007) - co-wrote "Broken Beauty" with Jon BullerJon BullerJon Buller is a Contemporary Christian artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He now resides in Vernon, British Columbia, where he works as Pastor of Worship and the Arts at Vernon Alliance Church, a position he began in August 2005...
on his album: Light Up The Sky (Signpost, 2009) - Jesus Music Again, Bill Batstone (guitars, bass, vocals), Bob Bennett (guitars, vocals), Alex MacDougall (percussion, drums) (2011)