Benny Hester

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Template:Short description

Page Module:Message box/ambox.css has no content.

Template:DMCA

Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content.Page Module:Infobox/styles.css has no content.

Benny Hester
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:InfoboxImage/data' not found.
Hester receiving 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award at Pepperdine University
Background information
Born
Benny Ray Hester

Script error: No such module "person date".
Waco, Texas, U.S.
DiedScript error: No such module "person date".
GenresPage Template:Hlist/styles.css has no content.
OccupationTemplate:Pluralize from textPage Template:Hlist/styles.css has no content.
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • recording artist
  • music producer
  • television producer
InstrumentTemplate:Pluralize from textPage Template:Hlist/styles.css has no content.
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1965–present
LabelTemplate:Pluralize from textPage Template:Hlist/styles.css has no content.
Websitewww.bennyhester.com

Script error: No such module "Check for deprecated parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

Benny Ray Hester (born May 3, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and recording artist. He is best known for his songs "When God Ran" and "Nobody Knows Me Like You", and for producing the teen sketch comedy and dance television series Roundhouse.[1] Hester received a television Cable Ace Award for the song "I Can Dream" and a collection of nominations for writing and producing an original song for each weekly episode of Roundhouse during its four-year run.[2][3]

Hester's song "When God Ran" is one of the longest-running number one songs in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) history; it was number one for 13 weeks,[4][5][6] and the third most successful song in the history of Word Records.[7][8]

The title track from Hester's third album, "Nobody Knows Me Like You", reached number one on Christian Music Charts and became the first CCM song to break the Billboard Top 50 Adult Contemporary Chart, debuting at number 44 on November 7, 1981.[9][10][11]

Hester's first CCM singles, "Jesus Came Into My Life" and "Be A Receiver", were breakthrough recordings for radio, blurring the lines between pop, rock and inspirational music, and becoming the first contemporary pop rock songs to be universally accepted and widely played across all Christian Radio formats.[citation needed] His 1978 debut album Benny Hester, re-released in 1982 as Be A Receiver, influenced the burgeoning CCM scene as the musical landscape shifted with the end of the Jesus Music era and the birth of the industry known as "Contemporary Christian Music".[12][13]

Early life

Benny Hester was born in Waco, Texas, the son of Benjamin F. Hester and Evelyn Hester; he has one sister and one brother.[14] He began studying classical music at age four and continued his studies through high school. While attending Richfield High School, Hester was a founding members of the Texas pop rock band The Morticians.[15] He sang with The Texas Boys Choir, became the youngest member of the Texas swing band Sam Weaver and The Texas Playboys, and appeared on the band's weekly television show playing alongside guests like Johnny Gimble and Ernest Tubb.

File:Benny Hester live in Malibu, CA, 2013.jpg
Hester performing in Malibu, California, 2013

Hester was hired to play in the stage band and orchestra for the musical Texas, and stayed with the show for two years. At the same time, with partner Steve Hilton, he founded the duo Hester & Hilton. While playing El Paso, Hester was asked to write two songs for a recording session by the group The Sojourners. In 1970, the songs, "Life Developing Slide" and "Our Way To Go", were produced by Norman Petty and recorded at his recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico.[16]

Career

in 1969, Hester moved to Las Vegas where, on a walk-through of Bill Porter's United Recording Studio, he met head recording engineer Brent Maher.[17] Maher invited Hester to play a song and then asked for another. They became immediate friends and Maher let him sit in on the recording sessions of Ike and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary" and The 5th Dimension's Age of Aquarius.

Hester taught music at a private music school, recorded Hester & Hilton demos with Maher at United Recording and, with Maher, formed a jingle agency, MusAd. They created, for example, the song for Hickory Farms Of Ohio, and the slogan for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Maher produced Hester's first two albums, Benny...,[18] and his first CCM album for Billy Ray Hearn's Sparrow Records, Benny Hester. Hester had become a Christian while attending an evangelical rally; his spiritual awakening resulted in the song "We All Know He's Coming", recorded with Elvis Presley’s TCB Band.[18][19] It was the TCB band which played on Benny..., however the finished masters and packaged albums were lost in the fire that destroyed United Recording. Hester's first album was never released but a remastered version, made from Hester's promotional copy of the original, was released on February 19, 2016. A track from the album, "No the End is Not Near" was featured in the fifth season of the HBO show Girls.[20]

Page Template:Quote box/styles.css has no content.

"Benny Hester’s classic Nobody Knows Me Like You is the very best Adult Contemporary pop album in the history of Christian Music! Most CCM albums were not really “current,” commercial vehicles. They appealed to a pop market, but were not actually purely pop music for the day. But NKMLY was in a class all by itself. All the while the CCM market was discovering they had a treasure in Benny Hester the artist, who, over the years, has not only delivered memorable songs, but actual classics that changed and shaped the CCM landscape. Most artists would be honored to have one song that could be listed amongst the greatest in the history of the genre, while Hester has a handful! Long before he made a mockery of radio chart records with “When God Ran,” he made a very potent career of not just brilliant hits, but overwhelming good albums within his genre. Borrowing liberally from the hit music makes of the late 70s and early 80s (Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, Bee Gee’s, Elton John), Hester mastered his songwriting craft early and never slowed down. He was driven to be a recognized artist, all the while he was driven to express his faith in original and honest ways."[11]

— David Lowman, Salem Communications, October 2011

Hester went on to release songs and albums, and perform thousands of concerts.[21] His recording of his song “When God Ran” is the longest running number one song in Contemporary Christian Music history, spending 13 weeks at number one on Christian Radio and topping both the AC and CHR Charts.[4][5][6] When another single from the same album, "Secret Thoughts", made it to number one on the Rock Charts, Hester had three simultaneous chart toppers, a feat which had never been achieved in Christian music.[4][6] “When God Ran” was the number one most played Christian Adult Contemporary radio hit of 1986, and number three for the decade.[6] “When God Ran” continues to be recorded by artists in many genres; a version recorded by The Kingsmen took the number one spot on the Southern Gospel Charts in February 2009 and was nominated as Gospel Music Song Of The Year.[22][23][24][25]

File:Benny Hester with Roundhouse band and recording engineers.jpg
Hester with the Roundhouse band and recording engineers, Universal Studios, FL and CBS Studio Center, 1992–1996

From 1992 to 1996 Hester was Co-Executive Producer, Music Producer/Musical Director and Songwriter for the award-winning Nickelodeon/MTV series Roundhouse.[26][27][28] He was nominated for seven songwriting and music producer awards, winning a CableACE Award for “I Can Dream” and, for “Can’t Let Go”, a Hollywood Foreign Press Association Youth In Film Award in the Best Original Song for Television category.[29] He also received three Cable Ace nominations for best Variety Special or Series as Co-Executive Producer of the show. The 12-member cast of Roundhouse received the award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Youth Series or Variety Show from the Hollywood Foreign Press Youth In Film Awards.[30]

File:Benny Hester receiving Cable Ace Award for "I Can Dream".jpg
Hester receiving a Cable Ace Award for Original Song, "I Can Dream", with co-writer Sheffield, 1993

Hester and record producer Howard Benson prepared the first Roundhouse cast album for release on Irving Azoff's Giant Records (Warner Music Group).[31] The album contained six Cable Ace-nominated tunes, including "I Can Dream". Nickelodeon blocked the album, and withheld approval of the use of its name in association with the 30-city Roundhouse concert tour.[31] The Disney Channel, under the leadership of former Nickelodeon employees, jumped ahead of Nickelodeon in music-driven television for the tween/teen market, eventually surpassing them in viewer ratings.[32][33][34]

Following a 2001 pitch to the Disney Channel, by Roundhouse producers, of the show Rock and Roland, in which a junior high boy was a "normal kid by day, rock star by night”, and after the producers provided additional scenes and a plan for marketing the music from the show through Disney's Hollywood Records, the Disney Channel’s Rich Ross and Adam Bonnett publicly took credit for the success of Disney’s lucrative franchise Hannah Montana.[26][31][35][36][37][38][39] A 2007 complaint filed against Disney claimed that Rock and Roland was misappropriated by Disney and produced under the name Hannah Montana. In 2008, Disney settled the legal claim a month before the trial was to begin.[40][41][42][43][44][45][46] [47][48][49][50]

Personal life

Hester is married to producer Rita Hester who, with her ex-husband Buddy Sheffield, created Roundhouse.[51]

Discography

  • Benny Hester, 1978 (re-released as Be A Receiver in 1983
  • Nobody Knows Me Like You, 1981
  • Legacy, 1983
  • Benny From Here, 1985
  • Through the Window, 1987
  • Personal Best, 1988
  • Perfect, 1989
  • United We Stand / Divided We Fall, 1990

Singles

  • "The Painter" / "Malcombe", 1972
  • "We All Know He's Comin'" / "Love Never Dies", 1972
  • "Good Night, Good Day" / "Country Boy", 1975
  • "Jamaica Way" / "Melody Man", 1978
  • "Nobody Knows Me Like You" / "Step By Step", 1981
  • "Melody Man", 1983
  • "Legacy", 1983
  • "Bring Me Through" / Nobody's Listening", with Leslie Phillips, 1983
  • "To Fill Our Empty Hearts", 1985
  • "Hold Me" / "Back To Basics", 1985
  • "When God Ran" / "Secret Thoughts", 1985
  • "Remember Me", 1986
  • "The More I Enter In", 1987

Awards & nominations

  • 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award in Contemporary Christian Music – Pepperdine University, Malibu Music Awards[52]
  • CableACE Award for Best Original Song: "I Can Dream", for Roundhouse[53]
  • Three CableACE Award nominations for Best Variety Special or Series, Co-Executive Producer: Roundhouse[53]
  • Ollie Award – Prestigious Recognition for Excellence in Television Programming for America's Children, American Center for Children's Television, Co-Executive Producer: Roundhouse[53]
  • Hollywood Foreign Press Youth In Film Award for Best Original Song: "Can't Let Go", for Roundhouse[53]
  • Hollywood Foreign Press Youth In Film Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Youth Series or Variety Show, Co-Executive Producer, for Roundhouse[53][54]
  • Grammy nomination: Nobody Knows Me Like You[53]
  • GMA Dove Award nomination: "When God Ran"

References

Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.

  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IMDb Movies & TV – Roundhouse Co-Exec Producer". IMDb.com.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IMDb Cable Ace Award 'Original Song'". IMDb.com.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CCMs 500 Best Albums". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
  4. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Benny Hester When God Ran". NewReleaseTuesday.com. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  5. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CCMs 500 Best Albums – When God Ran". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
  6. ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.""When God Ran" – CCM Magazine Presents 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music, Brentwood-Benson Music Publications – March 21, 2012". brentwoodbenson.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WORD: Six Decades of Hits". allmusic.com.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Warner Music Group – WORD: Six Decades of Hits". warnermusic.com.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billboard Top 50 Adult Contemporary Chart – Nov 7, 1981 – 'Nobody Knows Me Like You' Debuts #44 Mainstream". Billboard. November 7, 1981.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billboard – Word Christian Records Public Relations Director, Walt Quinn, says, – re: Benny Hester's Top Charting AC Billboard debut & CCM's first ever crossover 'Nobody Knows Me Like You' – "What would we do if we had a hit anyway? Could we f--- it up? You can have a No. 1 AC single and still not sell albums."". Billboard. April 10, 1982.
  11. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CCMs 500 Best Albums – 'Nobody Knows Me Like You' is the very best Adult Contemporary pop album in the history of Christian Music". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CCM Legends". CBN.com.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CCMs 500 Best Albums – Benny Hester". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Benjamin Ben F. Hester Obituary". whbfamily.com. Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Official website for The Morticians". themorticians.com.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Sojourners – Life Developing Slide / Our Way To Go". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Today's Christian Music". TodaysChristianMusic.com.
  18. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Billboard – Benny Hester: Yet Another First For Las Vegas – Nov 4, 1972. Billboard.com. November 4, 1972.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Benny... 1972 VMI Las Vegas album credits". discogs.com.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Benny...1972 never before released album".
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Blue Desert – West Coast Music". BlueDesert.dk.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Kingsmen Report – Dec 18, 2008 – 'When God Ran' Is #1 With Live Performance By The Kingsmen". KingsmenReport.blogspot.com.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Gospel Greats – #1 Southern Gospel Hit Songs – 'When God Ran' #1 Feb 2009". TheGospelGreats.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Music City Networks – Sept 13, 2009 – 'When God Ran' Recorded By The Kingsmen Nominated Gospel Music Song Of The Year & Album Of The Year". MusicCityNetworks.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2009.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Music City Networks – 2008 – 'When God Ran' Album Recorded By The Kingsmen". MusicCityNetworks.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  26. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."MTV Newsroom Poll – July 26, 2011 – 'Roundhouse' (1992–1996) Most Popular 90s Nickelodeon Show". MTV.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2011.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billboard Magazine – The Medialine". tvheaven.com/reviews/billboard.html.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Huffington Post – AolTV.com – April 15, 2009 – 'For The Love Of God, Revive Roundhouse!'". AolTV.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IMDb Roundhouse Awards – Original Song". IMDb.com.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."IMDb Roundhouse Awards – Cast". IMDb.com.
  31. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billboard Magazine – March 19, 1994 – 'Roundhouse' Gang Puts Out Tv's Hippest, Funniest Show, Records And 30 City Tour". tvheaven.com/reviews/billboard.html.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hollywood Reporter – Nickelodeon Ratings Slide – Viewers Shift To Disney Channel". HollywoodReporter.com.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."SNL Financial – April 25, 2012 – Nickelodeon Worth 33% Of Viacom's Total Enterprise Value – Nick Ratings Down 20%–30% Year-Over-Year". SNL.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Reuters – Nickelodeon Ratings Fall 30%". Reuters.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hollywood Reporter – Jan 18, 2011 – Hannah Montana Sets Ratings Record For Disney Channel". HollywoodReporter.com.
  36. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CNET News – July 15, 2008 – 'Walt Disney Music Group Saw A Whopping 60 Percent Rise In Music Sales From 2006 To 2007 Because Of The Tween And Young-Teen Music Craze Led By Disney Star Miley Cyrus'". CNET.com.
  37. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Laughing Place 'Disney News' – Hannah Montana First-Ever TV Soundtrack To Enter At #1". LaughingPlace.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Top40-Charts – Disney Records & Hollywood Records Hannah Montana Debuts #1 On Billboard Top 200 Chart". Top40-Charts.com.
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hollywood Reporter – Hannah Montana Trumps My Chemical Romance At #1". HollywoodReporter.com.
  40. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Reuters – Aug 24, 2007 – The Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Stolen From Roundhouse Creators – Lawsuit Filed". Reuters.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  41. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New York Times – Oct 5, 2009 – Rich Ross To Run Disney's Movie Studio 'For Spawning Hannah Montana And High School Musical – Some See Him As Overly Political And Too Quick To Take Credit For Creative Successes'". The New York Times.
  42. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Money Control/CNBC & Reuters – April 20, 2012 – 'Disney Film Studio Ross Steps Down' – Never Able To Duplicate Monster Franchises 'High School Musical' And "Hannah Montana'". MoneyControl.com.
  43. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New York Times – April 20, 2012 – Rich Ross; Nickelodeon Talent Booker, To Disney Channel Senior VP of Programming (1996), Credited For 'Hannah Montana' & 'High School Musical' Franchises, Elevated To Disney Studio Chairman, 'Forced Out'". The New York Times.
  44. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Los Angeles Times – April 20, 2012 – Rich Ross Ousted At Disney: What Went Wrong?". Los Angeles Times.
  45. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hollywood Reporter – March 30, 2010 – Adam Bonnett – 'Former Nickelodeon Executive Who Played A Key Role In Shepherding The "Hannah Montana" Franchise'". HollywoodReporter.com.
  46. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Laughing Place 'Disney News' – 'Disney Channel Promotes Adam Bonnett To Senior Vice President, Original Programming'". LaughingPlace.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  47. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Los Angeles Daily News – Aug 3, 2008 – Hannah Montana Lawsuit Settled". dailynews.com.
  48. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Susman Godfrey LLP – Entertainment Settlement – Hannah Montana Disney ABC Cable Networks". SusmanGodfrey.com.
  49. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Baker Marquart – 'Fantastic Results In Hannah Montana Case'". BakerMarquart.com.
  50. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Reuters – Aug 24, 2007 – Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Stolen From Roundhouse Creators – Lawsuit Filed". Reuters.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  51. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Klickstein, Mathew. "Down at the 'Roundhouse'". vulture.com. Vulture. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  52. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2013 Lifetime Achievement Award, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA". malibumusicawards.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  53. ^ a b c d e f Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Benny Hester". Cbn.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  54. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."14th Annual Awards". Youngartistawards.org. Retrieved May 2, 2012.

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Authority control/config' not found.

Retrieved from "https://cosmopedia.co/index.php?title=Benny_Hester&oldid=1478207"