Ben Rector

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Ben Rector
Benrectorwikipediaprofile.jpg
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Evans Rector
Born (1986-11-06) November 6, 1986 (age 34)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
GenresPop rock
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsPiano, guitar, vocals
Years active2006–present
Websitebenrectormusic.com

Benjamin Evans Rector (born November 6, 1986)[1] is an American singer, songwriter and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has released seven studio albums, including Brand New (2015), which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200,[2] and Magic (2018), which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart.[3]

Early life[]

Rector was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He took piano lessons as a child, but he did not pursue music until he picked up guitar in high school, which later led him to begin songwriting. He graduated from Tulsa's Metro Christian Academy in 2005 and from the University of Arkansas in 2009, with a degree in business and marketing.[4]

Music career[]

During his first year at the University of Arkansas, Rector released a self-titled EP that featured the song "Conversation", which went on to win the Grand Prize in the Pop category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2006.[5] He is the youngest person ever to win the award for the pop category.[6] The EP grew popular in surrounding states, and Rector began touring frequently on weekends and during breaks in the school year.[7]

Rector released his first full-length album Twenty Tomorrow in 2007 and its follow-up Songs That Duke Wrote in 2008.[8]

In April 2009 he was given the Northwest Arkansas Music Award (NAMA) for best male singer-songwriter in Northwest Arkansas.[9] Later that year, he moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting and to continue his career as an artist.[8]

Rector's third studio album, Into the Morning, was released on February 16, 2010, and reached No. 11 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart.[7][10] Following the release, he co-headlined the Three Amigos Tour with fellow Nashvillians Steve Moakler and Andrew Ripp. The rest of 2010 brought support slots with Dave Barnes and Five for Fighting, The Beat Lives Forever co-headline tour with Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, and the Feels Like Home tour in Germany, organized by Johannes Strate of the German band Revolverheld.[7]

In early 2011 Rector headlined a tour in the Midwest, supported fellow Nashville artist Matt Wertz's Weights & Wings national release tour, and performed on the VH1 Best Cruise Ever with artists including Train, The Script, Colbie Caillat and Lifehouse.[11]

Rector's fourth studio album Something Like This was released on September 13, 2011, reaching number 41 on the Billboard 200.[7] In mid-2011, Rector co-produced Steve Moakler's Watching Time Run. Following the release of Something Like This Rector headlined the Good Time Tour which spanned 25 cities with Andrew Belle and Graham Colton as support. Rector supported Needtobreathe during their The Reckoning tour in early 2012, which continued until May 2013.[12]

The Walking in Between was released on August 20, 2013.[13] Produced by Rector, Jamie Kenney and Charlie Peacock, it was the first release on Rector's own Aptly Named Recordings label. The album debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 chart.[14]

In 2014, Rector briefly took a break from songwriting to front the Huey Lewis and the News cover band Newy Lewis and the Hues.[15]

Rector toured with Needtobreathe, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, and Colony House for the first leg of the "Tour De Compadres" tour in early 2015.[16] He co-headlined The Rock Boat in 2017,[17] and supported Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on their 2017 Soul2Soul Tour.[18]

Rector released his sixth studio album, Brand New, on August 28, 2015, via Aptly Named Recordings. The album debuted No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking his first Top 10 album.[19] It also debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Current Rock Albums chart, No. 2 on the Billboard Album Core Genre Rock chart, No. 6 on the Billboard Album Sales chart, No. 3 on the Billboard Top Current Digital Album Sales chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard Top Folk Albums chart.[20][21]

In January 2016, he was picked as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month[22] and was featured on NBC's Today show where he live performed his single "Brand New", which initially received airplay on Sirius XM's The Pulse in September 2015.[22][23] "Brand New" was his first single to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 82.[24] The song also reached number 6 on the Billboard Adult Top 40,[25] number 7 on Hot Rock Songs,[26] and number 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[27]

On June 22, 2018, Rector released his seventh studio album, Magic, his first with OK Kid Recordings, which was led by its first single, "Drive".[28] The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums chart,[3] and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart[29] and No. 44 on the Billboard 200.[30] In September 2018, Rector embarked on his nationwide tour, Magic: The Tour, that continued into early 2019.[31] In 2019, Rector was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Performance for his appearance on Pickler and Ben in 2018.[32]

A live album, MAGIC: Live From the USA, was recorded during Magic: The Tour in various locations and was released on June 21, 2019.[33] In 2020, Rector will headline The Old Friends Acoustic Tour, performing acoustic versions of his songs, featuring opener Cody Fry.[34]

Television[]

Rector made his television debut performing "Beautiful" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 14, 2013. On April 12, 2016, he performed "Brand New" live on Conan.[35] He made his Live with Kelly and Ryan debut on July 12, 2016,[36] and appeared live on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC on November 24, 2016.[37] He has also performed on Today,[38] Pickler & Ben,[39] the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals (game 6),[40] and Bachelor in Paradise.[41] His songs have appeared on television shows including America's Got Talent, American Idol, Ellen DeGeneres Show, World of Dance, Heartland, Hawaii Five-O, Pretty Little Liars and Castle.[42][7] "Brand New" was featured in the trailers for Edge of Seventeen and Moana, in a Weight Watchers campaign starring Oprah Winfrey, and on ads for the Olympics and the World Series.[7][15]

Discography[]

Albums[]

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[2] 		US
Rock
[43] 		US
Indie
[29] 		US
Folk
[44]
Twenty Tomorrow
  • Released: September 2007
  • Label: self-release
 — — — —
Songs That Duke Wrote
  • Released: December 4, 2008
  • Label: Aptly Named
 — — — —
Into the Morning
  • Released: February 16, 2010
  • Label: Aptly Named
 — — 39 —
Something Like This
  • Released: September 13, 2011
  • Label: Aptly Named
 41 15 11 —
The Walking in Between
  • Released: August 20, 2013
  • Label: Aptly Named /ROAR
 16 5 4 2
Brand New
  • Released: August 28, 2015
  • Label: Aptly Named
 9 2 2 1
Magic
  • Released: June 22, 2018[45]
  • Label: OK Kid
 44 7 2 1
A Ben Rector Christmas
  • Released: November 13, 2020
  • Label: OK Kid
 — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Live albums[]

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[2] 		US
Rock
[43] 		US
Indie
[29] 		US
Folk
[44]
Live in Denver
  • Released: September 16, 2014
  • Label: Aptly Named /ROAR
 139 40 25 3
Magic: Live from the USA
  • Released: June 21, 2019
  • Label: OK Kid Recordings
 — — — —

EPs[]

Year Title
2006 Ben Rector
2009 Jingles and Bells
2010 Summer Candy
2019 MPLS Magic

References[]

  1. ^ "Ben Rector | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Ben Rector Chart History: "Billboard 200"". Billboard.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ben Rector's New Album Magic Debuts No. 1 on Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums Chart". Shore Fire Media. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  4. ^ Chancellor, Jennifer. "Tulsa native Ben Rector shoots to stardom on his own steam". Tulsa World. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "2006 Grand Prize Winners – Session I". JLSC.com. The John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  6. ^ "For Ben Rector, It's All About the Music | Arkansas Alumni Association's Blog". blog.arkansasalumni.org. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Billboard: Ben Rector Is a Gimmick Free Pop 'Nobody'. Billboard. Posted: September 25, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Parker, Chris (April 3, 2013). "Ben Rector isn't in a hurry to release his new album". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  9. ^ Bartholomew, Dustin (April 24, 2009). "The 2009 NAMA Winners". . Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  10. ^ Ben Rector: Family Friendly Archived June 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Blog.lp33.tv. April 9, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  11. ^ The Salt Lake Tribune: VH1 Best Cruise Ever, featuring Train, Lifehouse, Colbie Caillat, The Script, setting sail soon. The Salt Lake Tribune
  12. ^ NEEDTOBREATHE: The Reckoning Spring Tour 2012 Archived December 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. needtobreathe.net
  13. ^ "Ben Rector album review: 'The Walking In Between'". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  14. ^ "Ben Rector Album Debuts at 16 on Billboard 200". Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ben Rector brings 'Magic' to Memorial Auditorium". Chattanooga Times Free Press. March 20, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  16. ^ "Tour Dates". needtobreathe Official Website. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  17. ^ "Past Lineups". therockboat.com. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  18. ^ Nicholson, Jessica. "Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Reveal Opening Acts For 2017 Soul2Soul Tour". Music Row. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "On the Charts: The Weeknd Finds 'Beauty' at Number One". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  20. ^ "The Weeknd's New Album Debuts at Number One with an Impressive Sales Week". Forbes. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  21. ^ "The Week in Pop: Halsey's New Americana Might Actually Be A Real Demographic". Stereogum. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b "Video: Ben Rector to perform on 'Today,' play first show at Oklahoma City's The Criterion". NewsOK.com. January 13, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  23. ^ "Ben Rector performs 'Brand New' on TODAY". TODAY.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  24. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (May 18, 2018). "Ben Rector Announces New Album 'Magic,' Unveils Nostalgic Track 'Old Friends'". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  25. ^ "Ben Rector: Adult Top 40". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  26. ^ "Ben Rector: Hot Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  27. ^ "Ben Rector: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  28. ^ Whitmore, Laura B. "Exclusive Premiere: Listen Now to Ben Rector's Energetic New Song, 'Drive'". Parade. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Ben Rector Album & Song Chart History: "Independent Albums"". Billboard.
  30. ^ "Ben Rector Magic Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  31. ^ Shotwell, James (May 15, 2019). "LIVE REVIEW: Ben Rector brings a little 'Magic' to Kalamazoo". Substream Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  32. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (May 3, 2019). "Daytime Emmy winners 2019: Full list of Creative Arts winners on Friday night". GoldDerby. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  33. ^ "MAGIC: Live From the USA by Ben Rector". Genius. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  34. ^ "Ben Rector announces 'The Old Friends Acoustic Tour' with special guest Cody Fry". Fox16. November 12, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  35. ^ "Ben Rector will be appearing on CONAN Tuesday, April 12th, 2016". TeamCoco. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  36. ^ "Ben Rector Flies Fans to Six Flags for 'Brand New' Music Video". Alternative Addiction. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  37. ^ "Ben Rector, LunchMoney Lewis & More Earn Sales Gains After Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  38. ^ "Ben Rector performs 'Brand New' on TODAY". Today.com. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  39. ^ "Ben Rector Performs "Old Friends!"". picklerandben.com. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  40. ^ Russo, Michael (June 12, 2017). "Penguins edge Predators, win back-to-back Stanley Cups". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  41. ^ Pomarico, Nicole. "'Bachelor in Paradise' Episode 9: Babies on the Beach". TV Insider. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  42. ^ "Listen In!". Neurology Now. 13 (4): 7. 2017. doi:10.1097/01.nnn.0000522194.42709.10. ISSN 1553-3271.
  43. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ben Rector Album & Song Chart History: "Top Rock Albums"". Billboard.
  44. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ben Rector Album & Song Chart History: "Folk Albums"". Billboard.
  45. ^ "Magic by Ben Rector on iTunes". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved May 18, 2018.

External links[]

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