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| ==Las Vegas== | ==Las Vegas== | ||
| === 1970: MusAd and Runnin' Rebels of UNLV === | === 1970: MusAd and the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV === | ||
| Hester moved to ] where he met music producer and recording engineer ].<ref name="Biography">{{cite web |url=http://www.todayschristianmusic.com/artists/benny-hester/biography/ |title=Today's Christian Music |publisher=TodaysChristianMusic.com}}</ref> He taught music at a private music school, recorded “Hester & Hilton” demos at ], and later formed a successful jingle advertising company, MusAd, which dominated the Las Vegas radio and television market for ten years. He penned the song for ] and ]’s largest newspaper, '']'', with the slogan “The RJ is Las Vegas” appearing on billboards and ads still. Together Hester and Maher wrote and produced commercial songs for many Las Vegas hotels and banks, Nevada's largest home builders, trendy clothing manufacturers and outlets and notably, at the request of coach ], the original ] fight song and school song for the ] basketball team. | Hester moved to ] where he met music producer and recording engineer ].<ref name="Biography">{{cite web |url=http://www.todayschristianmusic.com/artists/benny-hester/biography/ |title=Today's Christian Music |publisher=TodaysChristianMusic.com}}</ref> He taught music at a private music school, recorded “Hester & Hilton” demos at ], and later formed a successful jingle advertising company, MusAd, which dominated the Las Vegas radio and television market for ten years. He penned the song for ] and ]’s largest newspaper, '']'', with the slogan “The RJ is Las Vegas” appearing on billboards and ads still. Together Hester and Maher wrote and produced commercial songs for many Las Vegas hotels and banks, Nevada's largest home builders, trendy clothing manufacturers and outlets and notably, at the request of coach ], the original ] fight song and school song for the ] basketball team. | ||
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| === Singles and albums: 70s, 80s, 90s === | === Singles and albums: 70s, 80s, 90s === | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| {{quote box|quote= "Benny Hester’s classic “Nobody Knows |
{{quote box|quote= "Benny Hester’s classic “Nobody Knows Me Like You” is the very best Adult Contemporary pop album in the history of Christian Music! Long before he made a mockery of radio chart records with “When God Ran,” he made a very potent career of not just brilliant hits, but overwhelming good albums within his genre. Borrowing liberally from the hit music makes of the late 70′s and early 80′s (Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, Bee Gee’s, Elton John), Hester mastered his songwriting craft early and never slowed down. He was driven to be a recognized artist, all the while he was driven to express his faith in original and honest ways."<ref name="CCMs500BestAlbumNobody">{{cite web |url=http://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/35-nobody-knows-me-like-you-benny-hester/ |title=CCMs 500 Best Albums - 'Nobody Knows Me Like You' is the very best Adult Contemporary pop album in the history of Christian Music|publisher=CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com}}</ref>|source=—David Lowman, ], October 2011 |width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}} | ||
| Hester recovered from the fire that claimed his first major recording project and has since released a string of hit albums and chart topping songs, and performed thousands of concerts.<ref name="AlbumList">{{cite web |url=http://www.bluedesert.dk/bennyhester.html |title=Blue Desert - West Coast Music |publisher=BlueDesert.dk}}</ref> His recording of his song “When God Ran” is the longest-running number one song in Contemporary Christian Music history, spending 13 weeks at #1 on Christian Radio and topping both the ] and ].<ref name="ArtistSong"/><ref name="CCMs500BestAlbumsBFH"/><ref name="Benny-WhenGodRan"/> When another ] single, "Secret Thoughts", from the same album made it to number one, he had three simultaneous chart toppers, a feat which had never been achieved up to that point in Christian music.<ref name="ArtistSong"/><ref name="Benny-WhenGodRan"/> “When God Ran” was the #1 most played Christian Adult Contemporary radio hit of 1986 and #3 for the entire decade.<ref name="Benny-WhenGodRan"/> “When God Ran” continues to be rerecorded by artists in many languages and musical genres, including ], ]/], ], and ], making it to the top of the charts repeatedly. A version recorded by ] took the No. 1 spot on the Southern Gospel Charts in February 2009<ref name="KingsmenWGR#1">{{cite web |url=http://kingsmenreport.blogspot.com/2008/12/when-god-ran-is-1.html |title=The Kingsmen Report - Dec 18, 2008 - 'When God Ran' Is #1 With Live Performance By The Kingsmen |publisher=KingsmenReport.blogspot.com}}</ref><ref name="KingsmenWGR#1Chart">{{cite web |url=http://www.thegospelgreats.com/2000s.htm |title=The Gospel Greats - #1 Southern Gospel Hit Songs - 'When God Ran' #1 Feb 2009 |publisher=TheGospelGreats.com}}</ref> and was nominated Gospel Music Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year.<ref name="Kingsmen">{{cite web |url=http://kingsmenquartet.musiccitynetworks.com/?inc=5&news_id=16958 |title=Music City Networks - Sept 13, 2009 - 'When God Ran' Recorded By The Kingsmen Nominated Gospel Music Song Of The Year & Album Of The Year |publisher=MusicCityNetworks.com}}</ref><ref name="KingsmenWGR">{{cite web |url=http://kingsmenquartet.musiccitynetworks.com/index.htm?id=15823&inc=7&album_id=1121 |title=Music City Networks - 2008 - 'When God Ran' Album Recorded By The Kingsmen |publisher=MusicCityNetworks.com}}</ref> | Hester recovered from the fire that claimed his first major recording project and has since released a string of hit albums and chart topping songs, and performed thousands of concerts.<ref name="AlbumList">{{cite web |url=http://www.bluedesert.dk/bennyhester.html |title=Blue Desert - West Coast Music |publisher=BlueDesert.dk}}</ref> His recording of his song “When God Ran” is the longest-running number one song in Contemporary Christian Music history, spending 13 weeks at #1 on Christian Radio and topping both the ] and ].<ref name="ArtistSong"/><ref name="CCMs500BestAlbumsBFH"/><ref name="Benny-WhenGodRan"/> When another ] single, "Secret Thoughts", from the same album made it to number one, he had three simultaneous chart toppers, a feat which had never been achieved up to that point in Christian music.<ref name="ArtistSong"/><ref name="Benny-WhenGodRan"/> “When God Ran” was the #1 most played Christian Adult Contemporary radio hit of 1986 and #3 for the entire decade.<ref name="Benny-WhenGodRan"/> “When God Ran” continues to be rerecorded by artists in many languages and musical genres, including ], ]/], ], and ], making it to the top of the charts repeatedly. A version recorded by ] took the No. 1 spot on the Southern Gospel Charts in February 2009<ref name="KingsmenWGR#1">{{cite web |url=http://kingsmenreport.blogspot.com/2008/12/when-god-ran-is-1.html |title=The Kingsmen Report - Dec 18, 2008 - 'When God Ran' Is #1 With Live Performance By The Kingsmen |publisher=KingsmenReport.blogspot.com}}</ref><ref name="KingsmenWGR#1Chart">{{cite web |url=http://www.thegospelgreats.com/2000s.htm |title=The Gospel Greats - #1 Southern Gospel Hit Songs - 'When God Ran' #1 Feb 2009 |publisher=TheGospelGreats.com}}</ref> and was nominated Gospel Music Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year.<ref name="Kingsmen">{{cite web |url=http://kingsmenquartet.musiccitynetworks.com/?inc=5&news_id=16958 |title=Music City Networks - Sept 13, 2009 - 'When God Ran' Recorded By The Kingsmen Nominated Gospel Music Song Of The Year & Album Of The Year |publisher=MusicCityNetworks.com}}</ref><ref name="KingsmenWGR">{{cite web |url=http://kingsmenquartet.musiccitynetworks.com/index.htm?id=15823&inc=7&album_id=1121 |title=Music City Networks - 2008 - 'When God Ran' Album Recorded By The Kingsmen |publisher=MusicCityNetworks.com}}</ref> | ||
| {{quote box|quote= "His 1985 album, Benny From Here, was a breakthrough effort by the Texas-bred singer, songwriter, and guitarist. It featured a fist full of hits including "To Fill Our Empty Hearts", "Whoever Touches You", "Can I Get To You From Here", "Secret Thoughts", and the smash single "When God Ran", a number one national hit for three months running. It's a track record of which the slight, soft-spoken 38-year-old can be justifiably proud and one that has elevated him, with a single stroke, to the top ranks of contemporary Christian recording artists."<ref name="CCMFeb1987">{{cite web |url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/CCM-Magazine-Feb-1987-BENNY-HESTER-Dion-IMPERIALS-/370821180341 |title=CCM Magazine February 1987, Benny Hester cover and feature story |publisher=ebay.com}}</ref>|source=—Davin Seay, |
{{quote box|quote= "His 1985 album, Benny From Here, was a breakthrough effort by the Texas-bred singer, songwriter, and guitarist. It featured a fist full of hits including "To Fill Our Empty Hearts", "Whoever Touches You", "Can I Get To You From Here", "Secret Thoughts", and the smash single "When God Ran", a number one national hit for three months running. It's a track record of which the slight, soft-spoken 38-year-old can be justifiably proud and one that has elevated him, with a single stroke, to the top ranks of contemporary Christian recording artists."<ref name="CCMFeb1987">{{cite web |url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/CCM-Magazine-Feb-1987-BENNY-HESTER-Dion-IMPERIALS-/370821180341 |title=CCM Magazine February 1987, Benny Hester cover and feature story |publisher=ebay.com}}</ref>|source=—Davin Seay, ] cover story, February 1987 |width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}} | ||
| Other top Benny Hester songs include Nobody Knows Me Like You, Christ The Solid Rock, Rubber Canoe, Come Back, Goodbye Salty, Legacy, Whoever Touches You, Streets Of Las Vegas, Can I Get To You From Here, No Man's Land, Step By Step, To Fill Our Empty Hearts, Real Change, Melody Man, Hold Me, Jesus Came Into My Life, Be A Receiver, Sure Of Your Call, The Door, Squeeze You, We All Know He's Comin', Out Of The Natural, Underground River, Remember Me, Caught Away, You Weren't Meant To Live Your Life Alone. | Other top Benny Hester songs include Nobody Knows Me Like You, Christ The Solid Rock, Rubber Canoe, Come Back, Goodbye Salty, Legacy, Whoever Touches You, Streets Of Las Vegas, Can I Get To You From Here, No Man's Land, Step By Step, To Fill Our Empty Hearts, Real Change, Melody Man, Hold Me, Jesus Came Into My Life, Be A Receiver, Sure Of Your Call, The Door, Squeeze You, We All Know He's Comin', Out Of The Natural, Underground River, Remember Me, Caught Away, You Weren't Meant To Live Your Life Alone. | ||
Revision as of 00:36, 31 July 2013
| Benny Hester | |
|---|---|
 Hester at CBS Center, Studio City, CA, 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benny Ray Hester |
| Born | (1948-05-03) May 3, 1948 (age 76) Waco, Texas, United States |
| Genres | CCM, rock, pop, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter, recording artist, performer, television producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, chromatic keyboard |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | Word Records and Entertainment / Warner Music, Myrrh Records, Frontline Records, Sparrow Records/Spirit, Vegas Music International (VMI) |
| Website | www |
Benny Ray Hester is an American musician, singer, songwriter and recording artist. He is perhaps best known for his songs "When God Ran" and "Nobody Knows Me Like You" and for producing the groundbreaking tween/teen music-driven sketch comedy and dance television series Roundhouse on Nickelodeon. Hester received a television Cable Ace Award for the song "I Can Dream" and a collection of nominations for writing and producing a featured original song for each weekly episode of Roundhouse during its successful four-year run. He has written and recorded more than twenty-five No.1 and top ten songs.
Hester's recording of his song "When God Ran" touched the consciousness of Christians worldwide and is the longest-running number one song in Contemporary Christian Music history, number one for 13 weeks, and the number three song in the 60 year history of Word Records. “When God Ran” continues to be rerecorded by artists in many languages and musical genres, including AC, Pop/Rock, Alt Rock, and Southern Gospel, making it to the top of the charts repeatedly.
The title track from his third album, "Nobody Knows Me Like You", reached number one on Christian Music Charts and became the first CCM song to break the Billboard Top 50 Adult Contemporary Chart, debuting at number 44 on November 7, 1981.
Hester's first CCM single, "Jesus Came Into My Life", was a breakthrough recording, becoming the first contemporary Pop rock song to be universally accepted and widely played across all Christian Radio formats.
Early life and influences
Born in Waco, Texas, Hester began studying classical music at age four and continued his studies through high school with European teachers and musical innovators John and Martha Reuther. He was among the first to master John Reuther’s futuristic chromatic “checkerboard” designed keyboard and one of a handful of musicians to become expert on the instrument, playing public performances to demonstrate its attributes over the standard keyboard.
Hester auditioned and was chosen to sing with “The Texas Boys Choir”.
He became the youngest member of the Texas Swing Band “Sam Weaver and The Texas Playboys”, and appeared on the band’s weekly television show playing alongside guest music legends including Johnny Gimble and Ernest Tubb.
While in high school, Hester was one of the founding members of the popular pop-rock band “The Morticians”. He wrote songs for the group and included them in sets for the band’s sizable revved up audiences. Headed now by original band member Joe Hall, “The Morticians” continue to play concerts regularly - http://themorticians.com
Hester was hired to play in the live stage band and orchestra for the long running musical “Texas” and continued with the show for two years. While performing in “Texas” he founded the singing duo “Hester & Hilton” with partner Steve Hilton. “Hester & Hilton” performed their own songs along with stylized takes on songs by their favorite artists. While playing El Paso, Hester was asked to write two songs for a recording session by the group “The Sojourners”. It turned out to be his first professional recording session as a songwriter. The two songs were produced and engineered by Norman Petty and recorded at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, where Hester had the opportunity to work with the legendary Petty and record in his hit studio. Hester and his older brother, a music fan with a ten-year head start on him, grew up singing and listening to Buddy Holly songs. Norman Petty produced and recorded those songs. Hester coincidentally attended Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX, home to Petty and birthplace of Holly.
Las Vegas
1970: MusAd and the Runnin' Rebels of UNLV
Hester moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he met music producer and recording engineer Brent Maher. He taught music at a private music school, recorded “Hester & Hilton” demos at Bill Porter's United Recording Studios, and later formed a successful jingle advertising company, MusAd, which dominated the Las Vegas radio and television market for ten years. He penned the song for Hickory Farms Of Ohio and Nevada’s largest newspaper, The Las Vegas Review Journal, with the slogan “The RJ is Las Vegas” appearing on billboards and ads still. Together Hester and Maher wrote and produced commercial songs for many Las Vegas hotels and banks, Nevada's largest home builders, trendy clothing manufacturers and outlets and notably, at the request of coach Jerry Tarkanian, the original University Of Nevada Las Vegas fight song and school song for the UNLV “Runnin’ Rebels” basketball team.
1972: Album with Elvis Presley's band
Maher went on to produce Hester's first two albums, the self-titled Benny..., on Bill Porter's VMI Records/Vegas Music International, and his first CCM album for Billy Ray Hearn's Sparrow Records. Hester first became a Christian while attending an evangelical rally at a traveling tent crusade called Christ is the Answer. He later attended a local church called The Neighborhood Church. Hester's unexpected spiritual awakening resulted in his prophetic 'second coming' song and first VMI single, "We All Know He's Coming", recorded with Elvis Presley’s TCB Band.
Maher and Bill Porter, Elvis Presley’s recording and sound engineer, brought Elvis’s band, the TCB Band, to record with Hester for his first album. The band included Ronnie Tutt, James Burton, Glen Hardin and Jerry Scheff, as well as Larry Muhoberac and Joe Osborn.
The finished masters and packaged albums, ready for record company distribution, were lost in the studio-warehouse fire that destroyed United Recording. Hester's first album was never released. Only a few albums survived the fire, ending up in the hands of collectors.
Music after the fire
Singles and albums: 70s, 80s, 90s
—David Lowman, Salem Communications, October 2011"Benny Hester’s classic “Nobody Knows Me Like You” is the very best Adult Contemporary pop album in the history of Christian Music! Long before he made a mockery of radio chart records with “When God Ran,” he made a very potent career of not just brilliant hits, but overwhelming good albums within his genre. Borrowing liberally from the hit music makes of the late 70′s and early 80′s (Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, Bee Gee’s, Elton John), Hester mastered his songwriting craft early and never slowed down. He was driven to be a recognized artist, all the while he was driven to express his faith in original and honest ways."
Hester recovered from the fire that claimed his first major recording project and has since released a string of hit albums and chart topping songs, and performed thousands of concerts. His recording of his song “When God Ran” is the longest-running number one song in Contemporary Christian Music history, spending 13 weeks at #1 on Christian Radio and topping both the AC and CHR Charts. When another Rock single, "Secret Thoughts", from the same album made it to number one, he had three simultaneous chart toppers, a feat which had never been achieved up to that point in Christian music. “When God Ran” was the #1 most played Christian Adult Contemporary radio hit of 1986 and #3 for the entire decade. “When God Ran” continues to be rerecorded by artists in many languages and musical genres, including AC, Pop/Rock, Alt Rock, and Southern Gospel, making it to the top of the charts repeatedly. A version recorded by The Kingsmen took the No. 1 spot on the Southern Gospel Charts in February 2009 and was nominated Gospel Music Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year.
—Davin Seay, CCM Magazine cover story, February 1987"His 1985 album, Benny From Here, was a breakthrough effort by the Texas-bred singer, songwriter, and guitarist. It featured a fist full of hits including "To Fill Our Empty Hearts", "Whoever Touches You", "Can I Get To You From Here", "Secret Thoughts", and the smash single "When God Ran", a number one national hit for three months running. It's a track record of which the slight, soft-spoken 38-year-old can be justifiably proud and one that has elevated him, with a single stroke, to the top ranks of contemporary Christian recording artists."
Other top Benny Hester songs include Nobody Knows Me Like You, Christ The Solid Rock, Rubber Canoe, Come Back, Goodbye Salty, Legacy, Whoever Touches You, Streets Of Las Vegas, Can I Get To You From Here, No Man's Land, Step By Step, To Fill Our Empty Hearts, Real Change, Melody Man, Hold Me, Jesus Came Into My Life, Be A Receiver, Sure Of Your Call, The Door, Squeeze You, We All Know He's Comin', Out Of The Natural, Underground River, Remember Me, Caught Away, You Weren't Meant To Live Your Life Alone.
Roundhouse" Television Series on Nickelodeon
1990s
From 1992 to 1996 Hester was Co-Executive Producer, Music Producer/Musical Director and Songwriter for the award winning Nickelodeon/MTV Networks television series Roundhouse. He was nominated for seven songwriting and music producer awards, winning for “I Can Dream” (Cable Ace Award) and “Can’t Let Go” (Hollywood Foreign Press Youth In Film Award) in the best “Original Song” for television categories. He also received three Television Cable Ace Award nominations for best “Variety Special Or Series” as Co-Executive Producer of Roundhouse.
The twelve member "triple threat" cast of Roundhouse received "Outstanding Ensemble Cast In A Youth Series Or Variety Show" as awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Youth In Film Awards.
Hester is the recipient of the prestigious “Ollie Award” for “Excellence In Television Programming For America’s Children”, presented by the American Center for Children's Television.
Benny Hester and record producer Howard Benson prepared the first Roundhouse Cast album for release on Irving Azoff's Giant Records (Warner Music Group). The Irving Azoff/Giant Records album masters contained six Roundhouse Cable Ace nominated tunes, including the Hester/Sheffield penned Cable Ace winner "I Can Dream". Nickelodeon exercised its 50% approval right by blocking the first of four Roundhouse cast albums, which included five solo artist spinoff options. Simultaneously Nickelodeon withheld approval of the use of the cable channels name in association with the 30 city Roundhouse concert tour by Pace Entertainment Corporation's Pace Theatrical, a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment. The Disney Channel, under the leadership of former Nickelodeon employees, recognized the missed opportunity and jumped ahead of Nickelodeon in music driven television for the "tween/teen" market, eventually surpassing them in viewer ratings.
Nickelodeon To Disney: Television the New Radio
2000s
After a pitch to the Disney Channel by 'Roundhouse' producers in 2001 of the show ‘Rock and Roland’, in which a junior high boy was a "normal kid by day, rock star by night” (gender option given during the pitch), and after providing additional written scenes and a plan for marketing the music from the show through Disney's Hollywood Records, the Disney Channel’s Rich Ross publicly took credit for the success of Disney’s gender-reversed multibillion dollar franchise ‘Hannah Montana’, as did the channel’s Adam Bonnett. Ross and Bonnett were both former Nickelodeon executives who worked with, among others, the award-winning 'Roundhouse' and its newly acquired 6-14 demo, airing in Nickelodeon’s first prime time block, SNICK. SNICK was later revamped as TEENick to target the newly found 'tween/teen' audience. Ross was Nickelodeon Talent Booker turned VP Of Program Enterprises, involved in all Nickelodeon original programming deals and, Bonnett, Production Coordinator becoming Director Of Current Programming for Nickelodeon.
Ross and Bonnett were subsequently promoted at Disney, along with others from the Disney Channel, and credited for Hannah Montana’s broad reaching success across TV, music and live tours, the model first proposed and put into motion by 'Roundhouse' producers at Nickelodeon, but blocked by the network during the time Ross and Bonnett were there. That decision turned out to be shortsighted by Nickelodeon and when proposed again to the then underutilized Disney Channel as a tie-in to the underperforming Hollywood Records (Disney Music Group), the concept proved inherently valuable enough that, as the complaint filed against Disney in 2007 in Los Angeles claimed, ‘Rock and Roland’ was misappropriated by Disney and produced under the name ‘Hannah Montana'. For their key roles in bringing 'Hannah Montana' to Disney, Rich Ross was elevated from the Disney Channel to Chairman of Walt Disney Studios in Oct 2009, forced to resign April 2012, and Adam Bonnett upped to Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Disney Channel.
The Walt Disney Company and Disney ABC Cable Networks Group agreed to settle the legal claim regarding ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘Rock and Roland’ less than four weeks before the jury trial was to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 26, 2008.
Discography
Benny
- Released: 1972
- Format: LP
- Label: VMI Records/Vegas Music International
- Producer: Brent Maher, with the TCB Band
- Tracks: "Give Your Love Forever", "No, the End is Not Near", "Love Never Dies", "The Bridge", "We All Know He's Coming", "The Painter", "Malcombe", "What's Happened to My Friends", "Please Let This Be So", "Genevieve"
Benny Hester
- Released: 1978
- Format: LP
- Label: Spirit/Sparrow re-issued in 1982 by Myrrh/Warner Music Group as Be a Receiver
- Producer: Brent Maher
- Tracks: "Be a Receiver", "Squeeze You", "Sure of Your Call", "Jesus Came Into My Life", "The Door", "Gonna Happen Here", "Only You", "Such a Relief", "All You Can Do", "We All Know He's Comin'"
Nobody Knows Me Like You
- Released: 1981
- Format: LP
- Label: Myrrh/Warner Music Group
- Producer: Michael Omartian
- Tracks: "Come Back", "No Man's Land", "Rubber Canoe", "Nobody Knows Me Like You", "Step By Step", "One More Time", "Goodbye, Salty", "Real Change", "You Loved Me", "Christ the Solid Rock"
Legacy
- Released: 1983
- Format: LP
- Label: Myrrh/Warner Music Group
- Producer: Benny Hester & John Guess
- Tracks: "Legacy", "Closer", "It Took So Long", "Melody Man", "Sensitive Heart", "Caught Away", "Out of the Natural", "Nobody's Listening", "Footprints", "These Things Were Done by You"
Benny from Here
- Released: 1985
- Format: LP
- Label: Myrrh/Warner Music Group
- Producer: Dan Posthuma & Jeremy Smith
- Tracks: "Secret Thoughts", "Streets of Las Vegas", "When God Ran", "Susie Said, Yeah!", "To Fill our Empty Hearts", "Back to Basics", "Can I Get to You From Here", "Whoever Touches You", "Marching On", "Hold Me"
Through the Window
- Released: 1987
- Format: LP
- Label: Myrrh/Warner Music Group
- Producer: Dan Posthuma
- Tracks: "Underground River", "Cat", "It's Only Love", "Remember Me", "The More I Enter In", "Wonderful Invention of Love", "Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again", "In Visible Silence", "Long Lost Heaven", "This is Me"
Personal Best
- Released: 1988
- Format: LP, CD
- Label: Myrrh/Warner Music Group
- Tracks: "Nobody Knows Me Like You", "Be a Receiver", "Legacy", "Secret Thoughts", "Remember Me", "Jesus Came Into My Life", "Melody Man", "Out of the Natural", "Underground River", "Rubber Canoe", "Hold Me", "Whoever Touches You", "To Fill Our Empty Hearts", "Christ the Solid Rock", "When God Ran"
Perfect
- Released: 1989
- Format: CD, LP
- Label: Frontline
- Producer: Benny Hester & Bill Baumgart
- Tracks: "Headlights on the Highway", "Before You Know It", "If You Die Before You Die", "Perfect", "Hungry World", "You Weren't Meant to Live Your Life Alone", "Two Good Reasons", "This One's for Keeping", "Passion, Possession, Position", "Shall We Gather at the River"
United We Stand/Divided We Fall
- Released: 1991
- Label: Frontline
- Producer: Benny Hester & Bill Baumgart
- Tracks: "Close to Me", "Love is Made of This", "These Old Dreams", "Restless Nights", "Noonday Night", "You Can Have Mine", "Rain, Rain, Rain", "Too Bad She Didn't Want Me", "Too Blue", "Break Out", "Climbing Jacob's Ladder"
The Iconic Male Voices of Christian Music
- Released: June 4, 2013
- Label: Word/Warner Music
Reason to Be
- Tracks: New
Awards
- CableACE Award (Original Song) - "I Can Dream"
- Nominated for nine television CableACE awards (for Roundhouse) - Six best "Original Song", three best "Variety Special or Series"
- Ollie Award - Prestigious recognition for Excellence in Television Programming for America's Children - American Center for Children's Television
- Hollywood Foreign Press Youth In Film Award (Best Original Song) - "Can't Let Go"
- Hollywood Foreign Press Youth In Film Award (Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Youth Series or Variety Show, 1992) - "Roundhouse"
- Grammy nomination - Nobody Knows Me Like You
- Dove Award nomination - "When God Ran" (1986)
References
- "Benny Hester Artist Profile". NewReleaseTuesday.com. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- "IMDb Movies & TV - Roundhouse Co-Exec Producer". IMDb.com.
- "MTV Newsroom Poll & Social Media Editor Review - July 26, 2011 - Roundhouse Voted Most Popular 90s Nickelodeon Show". MTV.com.
- "IMDb Cable Ace Award 'Original Song'". IMDb.com.
- "CCMs 500 Best Albums". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
- ^ "Benny Hester When God Ran". NewReleaseTuesday.com. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ "CCMs 500 Best Albums - When God Ran". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
- ^ "CCM Presents: 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music, Integrity Publishing Source- March 21, 2012 - Benny Hester-'When God Ran' With Song Video". CCMSongOfTheDay.blogspot.com.
- "WORD: Six Decades of Hits". allmusic.com.
- "Warner Music Group - WORD: Six Decades of Hits". warnermusic.com.
- Billboard Top 50 Adult Contemporary Chart - Nov 7, 1981 - 'Nobody Knows Me Like You' Debuts #44 Mainstream. Billboard.com.
- Billboard – Word Christian Records Public Relations Director, Walt Quinn, says, - re: Benny Hester’s Top Charting AC Billboard debut & CCM's first ever crossover ‘Nobody Knows Me Like You’ - "What would we do if we had a hit anyway? Could we f--- it up? You can have a No. 1 AC single and still not sell albums.". Billboard.com.
- ^ "CCMs 500 Best Albums - 'Nobody Knows Me Like You' is the very best Adult Contemporary pop album in the history of Christian Music". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
- "CCM Legends". CBN.com.
- "CCMs 500 Best Albums - Benny Hester". CCMs500BestAlbums.WordPress.com.
- "Today's Christian Music". TodaysChristianMusic.com.
- ^ Billboard - Benny Hester: Yet Another First For Las Vegas - Nov 4, 1972. Billboard.com.
- "Benny... 1972 VMI Las Vegas album credits". discogs.com.
- "Benny Hester With Elvis Presely Band, Bill Porter & Brent Maher". NewReleaseTuesday.com. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- "Blue Desert - West Coast Music". BlueDesert.dk.
- "The Kingsmen Report - Dec 18, 2008 - 'When God Ran' Is #1 With Live Performance By The Kingsmen". KingsmenReport.blogspot.com.
- "The Gospel Greats - #1 Southern Gospel Hit Songs - 'When God Ran' #1 Feb 2009". TheGospelGreats.com.
- "Music City Networks - Sept 13, 2009 - 'When God Ran' Recorded By The Kingsmen Nominated Gospel Music Song Of The Year & Album Of The Year". MusicCityNetworks.com.
- "Music City Networks - 2008 - 'When God Ran' Album Recorded By The Kingsmen". MusicCityNetworks.com.
- "CCM Magazine February 1987, Benny Hester cover and feature story". ebay.com.
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- "When God Ran" was released in 1985; Dove Awards are typically handed out for works from the year prior to the year in which the ceremony is held