Editing Benmont Tench

{{short description|American musician (born 1953)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Benmont Tench
| image           = File:Benmont_Tench,_2017-08-28.jpg
| caption         = Tench performing in 2017
| landscape       =
| birth_name      = Benjamin Montmorency Tench III
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1953|9|7}}
| birth_place     = [[Gainesville, Florida]], U.S.
| origin          =
| genre           = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[country music|country]]
| instrument      = {{hlist|[[Keyboard instrument|Keyboards]]|[[vocals]]}}
| years_active    = 1974–present
| associated_acts = [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]], [[Stevie Nicks]], [[Mudcrutch]], [[Don Henley]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Works Progress Administration (musical group)|Works Progress Administration]]
}}

'''Benjamin Montmorency''' "'''Benmont'''" '''Tench III''' (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]].

==Early years==

Tench was born in [[Gainesville, Florida]], the second child of Benjamin Montmorency Tench Jr. and Mary Catherine McInnis Tench. His father was born and raised in the city of Gainesville, and served as a circuit court judge.<ref name=RIP>{{cite web|url=https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2005/04/28/longtime-attorney-judge-tench-dies/31691370007/ |title=Longtime attorney, judge Tench dies |website =Gainesville.com |date= 2005-04-28 |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref>

Tench played piano from an early age. His first recital was at age six. After discovering the music of [[the Beatles]], he ended his classical piano lessons and focused on [[rock and roll]]. At age 11, he met [[Tom Petty]] for the first time at a Gainesville music store. Petty and Tench played together as members of The Sundowners in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gainesville.com/article/20060920/LOCAL/209200328 |title=Memories of Petty: How singer found way in area |website= Gainesville.com |date=2006-09-20 |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref> The Tench family's garage was a frequent practice site for the band.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gainesville.com/article/20071012/ENTERTAINMENT0201/71012026 |title=Garage band memories |website= Gainesville.com |date=2007-10-12 |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref>

==Education==
Tench attended [[Phillips Exeter Academy]], and subsequently [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]].<ref>Doerschuk, Robert L.: "Benmont Tench"  ''[[Keyboard Magazine]]'', May 1995, pages 26–28</ref>  While on a college break, Tench went to a concert by [[Mudcrutch]], Petty's band, with an opening act from nearby [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]. Afterwards, he sat in with the band on several different sessions, then went back to school. Soon after, Petty called Tench and asked him to quit school and join Mudcrutch full-time, which after long deliberation, Tench agreed to; but before he would leave school, Petty had to convince Tench's father that his son had a promising music career.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wildbluegator.com/benmont/bio.htm |title=Bio |publisher=Wildbluegator.com |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref>

==Music career==
Mudcrutch eventually evolved into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-ca-mudcrutch27apr27,1,4046347.story |title=Tom Petty returns to his roots with Mudcrutch |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2008-04-27 |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref>

In addition to playing piano and Hammond organ with the Heartbreakers, Tench is also a [[session musician]], having recorded with dozens of notable artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/side-player-frontman-benmont-tench-683650|title=From Side Player to Frontman: Benmont Tench on Solo Debut, Playing With Tom Petty and Bob Dylan|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2014-04-25}}</ref>
[[File:Benmont Tench Hollywood Bowl.jpg|thumb|Hollywood Bowl, October 1, 2010.]]
Songs written by Tench and recorded by other artists include "[[You Little Thief]]", a top 5 UK and Australian hit for [[Feargal Sharkey]] in 1985, and "[[Never Be You]]" (co-written with Petty), which was featured on the ''[[Streets of Fire]]'' soundtrack album and became a #1 US Country hit for [[Rosanne Cash]], also in 1985.<ref>{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=77}}</ref> Tench has received two ASCAP songwriting awards: in 1995 for "[[Stay Forever (Hal Ketchum song)|Stay Forever]]" (performed by [[Hal Ketchum]]) and in 2001 for "Unbreakable Heart" (performed by [[Jessica Andrews]]). This was also recorded by [[Carlene Carter]] in the early 1990s. He also wrote songs for [[Kimmie Rhodes]] ("Play Me A Memory") and [[Lone Justice]] ("Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)").

==Other bands and solo career==
In 2008, Tench became part of a [[supergroup (music)|supergroup]], initially named the Scrolls, now officially known as [[Works Progress Administration (musical group)|Works Progress Administration]] (W.P.A.). The band is composed of Tench, [[Sean Watkins]] (guitar), [[Sara Watkins]] (fiddle), [[Glen Phillips (singer)|Glen Phillips]] ([[guitar]], vocals), Luke Bulla (fiddle), [[Greg Leisz]] (various), [[Pete Thomas (drummer)|Pete Thomas]] (drums), and [[Davey Faragher]] (bass). The group released a self-titled album in September 2009.<ref name="scrolls">{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046781/heartbreakers-imposters-nickel-creekers-make-the-scrolls |title=Heartbreakers, Imposters, Nickel Creekers Make The Scrolls |publisher=Billboard |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref>  Tench penned one of the songs on the album, named "The Price," sung by Sara Watkins and himself. A fan of [[The Replacements (band)|the Replacements]], he would join them on stage.

Tench has worked extensively with other musicians, playing keyboards on hundreds of songs on albums such as [[Stevie Nicks]]' ''[[Bella Donna (album)|Bella Donna]]'', [[Bob Dylan]]'s ''[[Shot of Love]]'', along with [[Johnny Cash]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Alanis Morissette]], [[Eurythmics]], [[Fiona Apple]], [[U2]], [[X (American band)|X]], and he is featured on "Depending on You" on [[the Rolling Stones]]'s album ''[[Hackney Diamonds]]'', among many more.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2014/08/23/ten-with-tench-look-songs-from-recording-career-tom-petty-and-heartbreakers-keyboardist/aVZGAlv8VmxzTMWbQHxJoJ/story.html|title=Ten songs with prolific sideman Benmont Tench |work=The Boston Globe}}</ref>

In 2009, Tench frequently appeared with the Watkins Family Hour at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles. 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. In 2015, the Watkins Family Hour released their debut album and went on a national tour.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://watkinsfamilyhour.com/|title=Watkins Family Hour – Debut Album out July 24th, 2015|website=watkinsfamilyhour.com}}</ref>

In 2014, Tench released his first solo album, titled ''[[You Should Be So Lucky]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/world-cafe/2014/03/07/286855726/benmont-tench-on-world-cafe|title=Benmont Tench On World Cafe|publisher=NPR|date=2014-03-07}}</ref> Tench also added keyboard parts to Stevie Nicks' album ''[[24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault]]''.

In 2016, Tench played the [[Fleetwood Mac]] tribute at the Fonda Theater, in Los Angeles; he performed the song "Silver Springs" with [[Courtney Love]]. 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).<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/wilco-r-e-m-members-team-for-big-star-tribute-concert-103860/|title=Wilco, R.E.M. Members Team for Big Star Tribute Concert|first1=Daniel|last1=Kreps|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=March 29, 2016}}</ref>
Tench also reunited with Mudcrutch to record the band's second album, ''[[Mudcrutch 2]]''. The band embarked on their American tour on May 26, 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mudcrutchmusic.com/|title=Mudcrutch Official Website|website=Mudcrutch Official Website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gothamist.com/2016/03/25/mudcrutch_forever.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328051827/http://gothamist.com/2016/03/25/mudcrutch_forever.php|url-status=dead|title=Tom Petty's Original Band MUDCRUTCH Is Coming Back|date=March 25, 2016|archive-date=March 28, 2016|website=Gothamist}}</ref>

In March 2019, Tench played three shows with [[Phil Lesh & Friends]] at the [[Capitol Theatre (Port Chester, New York)|Capitol Theatre]] in [[Port Chester, New York|Port Chester]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>[http://www.benmont-phil-lesh-friends-march-1801016] {{dead link|date=February 2021}}</ref> He also played on three songs from [[the Who]]'s album ''[[Who (album)|WHO]]'', released in December 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thewho.com/the-who-announce-the-release-of-their-new-album-who/ |title=The Who Announce Their New Album 'Who' Plus UK Tour Dates |website=thewho.com |date=13 September 2019 |access-date=7 February 2021}}</ref>

In March 2025, Tench released his second solo studio album, entitled ''The Melancholy Season'' <ref>{{cite web |last1=Graff |first1=Gary |title=Benmont Tench on His First Solo Album In 11 Years & What He Thinks About the Posthumous Tom Petty Releases |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/benmont-tench-melancholy-season-interview-1235917181/ |website=Billboard |access-date=7 March 2025}}</ref>

==Recognition==
In 2024, [[Neil McCormick]] of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' ranked Tench as the third greatest keyboard player of all time, calling him "the King of the Hammond in the contemporary rock era".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/elton-john-keyboard-players-stevie-wonder/ | title=The 10 greatest keyboard players of all time – ranked | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Neil | last=McCormick | date=16 October 2024 | access-date=22 October 2024}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1991, Tench married Canadian model Courtney Taylor. They divorced in late 1999. In 2015, Tench married his second wife, author [[Alice Carbone Tench]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mudcrutch.com/forum/index.php?/topic/14491-benmont-alice-carbone-married-yesterday/|title=Benmont & Alice Carbone married yesterday.|website=Mudcrutch Farm|access-date=May 26, 2021|archive-date=July 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711022444/https://www.mudcrutch.com/forum/index.php?%2Ftopic%2F14491-benmont-alice-carbone-married-yesterday%2F|url-status=dead}}</ref> Their daughter was born on December 16, 2017.<ref>{{cite tweet| user= benchten| author= Tench, Benmont| number= 942849938802860034| title= Catherine Gabriella Winter Tench, born 8:09 pm December 16th, 2017. All love. 📸 sherlyholmes | date= December 18, 2017 | access-date= August 1, 2019 }}</ref>

== Discography ==
{{Hatnote|For his work with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch, see [[Tom Petty discography]]}}

=== Solo ===
{{Div col}}
'''Studio albums'''
* ''[[You Should Be So Lucky]]'' (2014)
*''The Melancholy Season'' (2025)

'''Other studio appearance'''

* "The Mermaid Song" from ''More Music from The Rum Diary'' (2012)<ref>{{Citation |title=More Music From the Rum Diary – Various Artists {{!}} Credits |website=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/more-music-from-the-rum-diary-mw0002315566/credits |language=en |access-date=2022-06-27}}</ref>

'''Live single'''

* ''Nervous from the Fall'': "[[Love Will Tear Us Apart]]"/"China Doll" (2019)<ref>{{Cite web |title=SpecialRelease |date=n.d. |accessdate=2023-11-09 |url=https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/11777 |language=en-US |publisher=[[Record Store Day]]}}</ref>

=== Session ===
* ''[[Bella Donna (album)|Bella Donna]]'' – [[Stevie Nicks]] (1981)
* ''[[Shot of Love]]'' – [[Bob Dylan]] (1981)
* ''[[I Can't Stand Still]]'' – [[Don Henley]] (1982)
* ''[[The Wild Heart (album)|The Wild Heart]]'' – Stevie Nicks (1983)
* ''[[Building the Perfect Beast]]'' – Don Henley (1984)
* ''[[Lone Justice (album)|Lone Justice]]'' – [[Lone Justice]] (1985)
* ''[[Empire Burlesque]]'' – [[Bob Dylan]] (1985)
* ''[[Who's Zoomin' Who?]]'' – [[Aretha Franklin]] (1985)
* ''[[Rock a Little]]'' – Stevie Nicks (1985)
* ''[[Knocked Out Loaded]]'' – Bob Dylan (1986)
* ''[[The Knife Feels Like Justice]]'' – [[Brian Setzer]] (1986)
* ''[[The Sound of Music (The dB's album)|The Sound of Music]]'' – [[The dB's]] (1987)
* ''[[Sentimental Hygiene]]'' – [[Warren Zevon]] (1987)
* ''Two Stories'' – [[The Williams Brothers|Williams Brothers]] (1987)
* ''[[Lead Me On (Amy Grant album)|Lead Me On]]'' – [[Amy Grant]] (1988)
* ''[[Mystery Girl]]'' – [[Roy Orbison]] (1989)
* ''[[The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar]]'' – [[Peter Case]] (1989)
* ''[[Full Moon Fever]]'' – [[Tom Petty]] (1989)
* ''[[Transverse City]]'' – Warren Zevon (1989)
* ''[[Spike (Elvis Costello album)|Spike]]'' – Elvis Costello (1989)
* ''[[Back from Rio]]'' – [[Roger McGuinn]] (1991)
* ''[[Road Apples (album)|Road Apples]]'' – [[The Tragically Hip]] (1991)
* ''[[The Missing Years (album)|The Missing Years]]'' – [[John Prine]] (1991)
* ''[[Night Calls (album)|Night Calls]]'' – [[Joe Cocker]] (1991)
* ''[[Mighty Like A Rose]]'' – Elvis Costello (1991)
* ''Reckoning'' – [[Christine Lakeland]] (1993)<ref>{{Cite web|website=Discogs.com |title=Christine Lakeland – Reckoning |year=1992 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/10637986-Christine-Lakeland-Reckoning |language=en |access-date=2022-06-27}}</ref> <!-- Conflicting information on whether 1992/1993, no source with specific date -->
* ''[[Robin Zander (album)|Robin Zander]]'' – [[Robin Zander]] (1993)
* ''[[Blink of an Eye (Michael McDonald album)|Blink of an Eye]]'' – [[Michael McDonald (musician)|Michael McDonald]] (1993)
* ''[[I'm Alive (Jackson Browne album)|I'm Alive]]'' – [[Jackson Browne]] (1993)
* ''[[Rumble Doll]]'' – [[Patti Scialfa]] (1993)
* ''[[Rhythm, Country and Blues]]'' – Various Artists (1994)
* ''[[Wildflowers (Tom Petty album)|Wildflowers]]'' – Tom Petty (1994)
* ''[[Looking East]]'' – Jackson Browne (1996)
* ''[[Unchained (Johnny Cash album)|Unchained]]'' – [[Johnny Cash]] (1996)
* ''[[Dust (Screaming Trees album)|Dust]]'' – [[Screaming Trees]] (1996)
* ''Out of My Way'' – [[Peter Holsapple]] (1997)
* ''[[We Ran]]'' – [[Linda Ronstadt]] (1998)
* ''Urban Observer'' - [[DDT (band)|DDT]] (1998) ("Unsaid", "Styrofoam", "Liquid")
* ''[[Inside Job (Don Henley album)|Inside Job]]'' – Don Henley (2000)
* ''[[Warning (Green Day album)|Warning]]'' – [[Green Day]] (2000)
* ''[[American III: Solitary Man]]'' – Johnny Cash (2000)
* ''[[Trouble in Shangri-La]]'' – Stevie Nicks (2001)
* ''[[American IV: The Man Comes Around]]'' – Johnny Cash (2002)
* ''[[Unearthed (Johnny Cash album)|Unearthed]]'' – Johnny Cash (2003)
* ''[[Tambourine (album)|Tambourine]]'' – [[Tift Merritt]] (2004)
* ''[[12 Songs (Neil Diamond album)|12 Songs]]'' – [[Neil Diamond]] (2005)
* ''[[Taking the Long Way]]'' – [[The Chicks|Dixie Chicks]] (2006)
* ''[[American V: A Hundred Highways]]'' – Johnny Cash (2006)
* ''[[Home Before Dark]]'' – Neil Diamond (2008)
* ''[[Y Not]]'' – [[Ringo Starr]] (2010)
* ''[[Dreams (Neil Diamond album)|Dreams]]'' – Neil Diamond (2010)
* ''[[Ringo 2012]]'' – Ringo Starr (2012)
* ''[[24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault]]'' – Stevie Nicks (2014)
* ''[[Postcards From Paradise]]'' – Ringo Starr (2015)
* ''[[Give More Love]]'' – Ringo Starr (2017)
* ''[[What%27s_My_Name_(Ringo_Starr_album)|What's My Name]]'' – Ringo Starr (2019)
* ''[[Who (album)|Who]]'' – [[The Who]] (2019)
* ''[[Starting Over (Chris Stapleton song)|Starting Over]]'' – [[Chris Stapleton]] (2020)
* ''[[Zoom In]]'' – Ringo Starr (2021)
* ''[[Hackney Diamonds]]'' – The Rolling Stones (2023)
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/benmont-tench Benmont Tench Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Collection]] (2020)

{{Mudcrutch}}
{{Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers}}
{{2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tench, Benmont}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American rock keyboardists]]
[[Category:Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers members]]
[[Category:Musicians from Gainesville, Florida]]
[[Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:Mudcrutch members]]
[[Category:American rock pianists]]
[[Category:American male pianists]]
[[Category:American male organists]]
[[Category:20th-century American pianists]]
[[Category:Tulane University alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century American keyboardists]]
[[Category:21st-century American organists]]
[[Category:Works Progress Administration (band) members]]
[[Category:20th-century American keyboardists]]