Benmont Tench
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Benjamin Montmorency Tench III (born September 7, 1953) an American keyboardist, best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, along with Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and Ron Blair of the current lineup.
Born in Gainesville, Florida, Tench played piano from an early age. He met Tom Petty for the first time at a Gainesville music store at the age of 11. He went north to boarding school at Phillips Exeter Academy, then attended Tulane University in New Orleans but quit college to join Petty's band Mudcrutch, which would later evolve into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Other bands he was in include: The Apathetics, the MiffMole Band, and Tuna Fish and Larry.
In addition to playing piano and Hammond organ with the Heartbreakers, Tench is also known as a skilled session performer, having recorded with dozens of notable artists, including Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks, Sam Phillips, You Am I, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Don Henley, Ringo Starr, John Fogerty, The Screaming Trees, The Tragically Hip, Alanis Morissette, Green Day, The Cult, The Jayhawks, Fiona Apple, Sean Watkins, New Found Glory, Tift Merritt and Powderfinger, as well as many, many others.
Other 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 became a #1 US Country hit for Rosanne Cash, also in 1985. Tench has received two ASCAP songwriting awards: in 1995 for "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 late 1990's. He also wrote songs for Kimmie Rhodes (Play Me A Memory) and Lone Justice (Sweet, Sweet Baby (I'm Falling).
In January 2008, it was reported by Billboard that a new supergroup octet tentatively named The Scrolls had formed. The octet is composed of Tench, Sean Watkins (guitar), his sister Sara Watkins (fiddle), Glen Phillips (guitar, vocals), Luke Bulla (fiddle), Greg Leisz (various), Pete Thomas (drums), and Davey Faragher (bass). The group plans to have an album out by fall of this year.[1]
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