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Ben Vaughn | |
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| Born | 1955 or 1956 (age 69–70)[1] |
| Origin | Collingswood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock, folk, blues, country, instrumental rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, composer, radio host |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, harmonica, drums, bass, keyboards |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Website | benvaughn |
Ben Vaughn (born 1955 or 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, composer for television and film, and a syndicated radio show host.
Vaughn grew up inMount Ephraim, New Jersey, outside Philadelphia, and graduated from Audubon High School. He lived inCollingswood, New Jersey for several years before moving toCalifornia.[1][2][3] At age 6, his uncle gave him aDuane Eddy record and forever changed his life. He started playing the drums in a garage band when he was 12, then transitioned to the guitar. After school, he would go to a local department store, where he would borrow the guitars and practice over chord sheets.[4]
In 1983, he formed the Ben Vaughn Combo. The band was together for five years, releasing two albums and touring the U.S. several times. They received rave reviews inRolling Stone andPeople magazines as well as video airplay on MTV. The attention inspired Marshall Crenshaw to record Vaughn's "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" for hisDowntown album.
Vaughn embarked on a solo career in 1988, recording several critically acclaimed albums, touring extensively in Europe and the U.S., and receiving more MTV exposure. During that period he produced three records for the Elektra Records American Explorer series (Memphis rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers, Muscle Shoals country soul singer Arthur Alexander) and recorded "Cubist Blues" a collaboration with Alan Vega and Alex Chilton. He also scored two films (Favorite Mopar andWild Girl's Go-Go Rama), as well as appeared as a frequent guest commentator on nationally syndicated radio showsFresh Air andWorld Cafe.
In 1995, Vaughn moved to L.A. and released "Instrumental Stylings," an album of instrumentals in a variety of styles. A guest appearance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" led directly to being hired as the composer for the hit TV sitcom3rd Rock from the Sun.That '70s Show soon followed, and for the next ten years, Vaughn would provide music for a dozen other TV shows and pilots (Men Behaving Badly,Normal, Ohio,Grounded for Life). He also provided scores for several films (Psycho Beach Party,The Independent,Scorpion Spring) and continued producing records (Ween, Los Straitjackets, Mark Olson ofthe Jayhawks,Nancy Sinatra, and theSwingers soundtrack CD).
In 1997 Vaughn released the albumRambler '65. Recorded entirely in his car in the driveway of his home inNew Jersey, this album (and subsequent short film) is still considered by many to be a classic document of a man and his dream.[5] Vaughn turned his 1965Rambler American into a makeshift recording studio whose equipment list includes two quarts ofQuaker State oil.[6][7]
Since then, Vaughn has releasedDesigns in Music,Vaughn Sings Vaughn Vols. 1-3,Texas Road Trip (recorded in Austin, Texas, with Doug Sahm's band),Five by Five, andPiece de Resistance by the Ben Vaughn Quintet, and the solo acoustic albumImitation Wood Grain and Other Folk Songs. His most recent release,The World of Ben Vaughn, coincided with Record Store Day 2022. Vaughn also had an Italian dance hit (a DJ re-mix of "Hey Romeo"), and his song "Jerry Lewis in France" was played on Bob Dylan's radio program (complete with Dylan's recitation of Vaughn's resume).
Occasionally, Vaughn takes a break from his syndicated radio show (The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn)[8] to perform live in the US and Europe. He toured Spain in June 2022.[9]
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