BenSimon

"I like to consider myself a Power Pop song writer. That being said, I tend to straddle the fence from AAA /Americana, to Hard Rock muscle, but always my center of gravity is generated by Power Pop hooks and sensibilities".

BENSIMON – ARTIST BIO

I was born in 1961 in the far southwestern corner of the United States, within sight of the Pacific Ocean and the Mexican border. Growing up, I spent my life straddling both sides of that border, absorbing the cultures, music, and stories that would later shape my songwriting. Although I spent a number of years in Los Angeles pursuing music, the borderlands have always remained my home and my greatest influence.

My earliest recollection and memory of any kind as a child that I can recall is, that of my self running down the street as a little kid at the age of around two and a half years old singing, “Do You Yeah Yeah Yeah, ”I remember the feeling of being totally jazzed, psyched, and pumped up. Years later I realized I had actually been singing “Please Please Me” by The Beatles. My mother confirmed that our family had watched The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964. Looking back, it's clear that one television performance changed the course and trajectory of my life.

My mother was a passionate music fan who constantly filled our house with records. She bought me my first record in 1966 by The Monkees, but by then I was already immersed in The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, and the explosion of British Invasion music that defined the era.

By junior high school, music had become more than a fascination—it became an obsession. I started on upright bass in the school orchestra, quickly moved to electric bass, and joined the choir to develop my voice. Around the same time, I attended my first major concert: Yes on the Roundabout tour at the San Diego Sports Arena in 1972. Like so many young musicians, I walked away transformed.

Throughout my teenage years I played everywhere I could: orchestras, choirs, jazz ensembles, rock bands, school dances, backyard parties, cocktail lounges, and private events. Along the way I learned to read charts, play jazz standards, perform classical music, and front rock bands. By the time I was twenty years old, I was performing five to seven nights a week and earning my living as a musician.

Like many players of my generation, I initially dreamed of becoming a top-tier studio musician. Eventually I realized that my greatest strengths were as a performer, songwriter, and bandleader. I began writing original music at an early age and developed a passion for recording, even when studio time was prohibitively expensive in the analog era.

That passion eventually led me to Hollywood during the height of the Sunset Strip hard-rock scene of the 1980s and early 1990s. During those years I performed regularly at legendary venues including the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy, and The Troubadour. One career highlight was earning a coveted New Year's Eve headlining slot at the Whisky—a milestone for any Southern California rock musician. It was a remarkable time to be on the Strip, right before the arrival of grunge reshaped the music industry.

When that chapter ended, I returned to my border-town roots and began exploring a different musical direction. Drawing from  Country, Rock, Americana, and the Outlaw traditions, I became part of the emerging Alt-Country movement. Over the years I was instrumental with projects including Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash, the founder of  Whiskey Tango, The Hideaways, and Tornado Magnet. Like most bands, they eventually came and went, but each contributed to my growth as a songwriter and performer.

Ultimately I realized that if I wanted keep going and not have to start over each time a group ended for whatever reason, I needed to stand on my own two feet. That's when BenSimon was born as solo artist.

My musical foundation has always been rooted in Power Pop—the melodic influence of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Monkees. As the years progressed, those influences expanded to include Led Zeppelin, Electric Light Orchestra, The Faces, Tom Petty, The Jayhawks, The Black Crowes, and countless others. The result is a sound that lives somewhere between Power Pop, classic rock, Americana, Alt-Country, and the unique perspective that comes from growing up along the U.S.-Mexico border.

As recording technology evolved, I embraced the transition from expensive commercial studios to modern digital production. What began as recording my own projects gradually evolved into producing records for other artists. Word spread, more musicians came through the door, and before long I found myself building a second career as a producer.

Today I serve as lead producer at The Village Studio in La Mesa, California, while continuing to write, record, and release my own music as BenSimon. After decades in the business, I remain as passionate about music as I was when I first heard The Beatles as a child.

I've enjoyed successes, setbacks, sold-out rooms, empty rooms, great bands, and broken bands. Through it all, one thing has never changed: I never stopped.

As Diana Ross famously said, "The only people I know who haven't made it are the ones who quit along the way."

Well I haven't quit yet.