Richard Benson (singer)

Richard Philip Henry John Benson, known as Richard Benson (born 10 March 1955, Woking, England) is an English–Italian guitarist. It is said he moved to Rome in 1965.

Career

In 1972, he took part in the festival "Villa Pamphili".^[1]

In 1984, he says to have released his first LP, Animal Zoo (now unavailable).

In 1987 he was included on the compilation album, Metal Attack (RCA Italy – Talent).^[2]

In the second half of the 1990s he arrived at the peak of his musical career giving concerts in Rome. Since 7 October 2006, he has said being working with Sony together with Amy Lee, of the rock group Evanescence. Since July 2008, he also said to have a contract with N-TV. Though these statements, given by Richard Benson about his own fame and success, were not confirmed by any independent proof, they were somehow effective in increasing his popularity, at least as a controversial, trash and autoironical character. He has also been mired in controversy for his threats to James LaBrie and Steve Vai. To LaBrie he said he couldn't take the liberty of such a solo album, and to Vai he shouted he must have been frightened by guitarists such as Nagaoka. Benson is well known for having recorded various tutorial videos to teach young guitarists how to present serious scales. In these videos he shows all of his guitarist skills playing a breathtaking version of "il vecchio blues". Another of his famous tricks is the "hellish carillon" (carillon infernale). Benson has then appeared in Italian national broadcast television as a music critic (Rai 2), together with Max Giusti, though the role of Benson in the show was, once again, rather comical than serious, in facts, playing a sort of parody of his own character. In one of his appearances on the Italian television he expressed his opinion on nowadays' music, literally quoting -"That's not stuff for me!"- ("non è robba pe'me!"), restating his point of view several times. He also added -"these are dance hall wimpy songs, grapes feast songs, apartament blocks party music, carnival music!"- ("queste sono canzonette da balera, da sagra dell'uva, da feste condominiali, da feste di piazza").

Discography

• 1990: Buon Vecchio Charlie (recorded in 1971)
• 1983: Animal Zoo (single)
• 1984: Renegade (single)
• 1999: Madre Tortura
• 2015: L'inferno dei vivi

References

• Article on la Repubblica

External links

• Richard Benson at the Internet Movie Database