Born and raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, noted jazz musician George Benson (1943– ) started performing with local bands at just 8 years old. He would go on to become one of the world’s most celebrated jazz and pop artists.

Benson began his career as a jazz guitarist. But equally talented as a vocalist and songwriter, he gained wider fame with his soulful vocals and crossover hits in the 1970s. His 1976 album Breezin’ went triple-platinum, and over the next three decades he earned 10 Grammy Awards for both vocal and instrumental works, including This Masquerade and On Broadway.

In 2009, Benson was awarded the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship, the highest honor our nation bestows on jazz artists. In addition, he has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and several honorary doctorate degrees, including one from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, which is located near Benson’s childhood home and the former Connelley Vocational High School, which he attended.

With more than three dozen albums to his name, George Benson has summited the pop, R&B, soul, and jazz charts, ensuring that his influence spans generations and genres.