Howard Benson | |
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 Benson in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Howard Michael Benson |
| Born | (1956-07-20)July 20, 1956 (age 68) Havertown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Record producer |
| Instrument | Keyboards |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Judge&Jury |
| Website | howardbenson |
Howard Michael Benson (born July 20, 1956)[1] is an American record producer fromHavertown, Pennsylvania.[2] He has been nominated for twoGrammy Awards forProducer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2007 and 2008, among two wins and 16 total nominations for his productions.[3]
Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadelphia, the son of Estelle and Robert Benson.[4] He is ofJewish descent.[4] He began playing keyboards in rock bands at the age of 13.[2] He attended college atDrexel University and studied engineering. During his years at Drexel, Benson took a year off and studied composition at thePhiladelphia College for Performing Arts. Benson graduated from Drexel with a degree inmaterials engineering. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles and worked forGarrett AiResearch, where he worked on aircraft such asC-5s andF-18s.[5]
At the time of his graduation, he regularly played with his band in small Hollywood clubs, and when his band finally went into the studio with a producer, Benson was inspired to become a record producer.[6]
He returned to Drexel in 2010 to create and teach the advanced production class atDrexel University'sAntoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. In 2011, he established the Howard and Monica Benson Endowed Scholarship Fund for students enrolled at the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design.[7] In 2015, he received an honorary degree from Drexel University.[8]
His first works as producer were two albums forhardcore punk bandT.S.O.L. (Revenge (1986) andHit and Run (1987)), and the first record he produced for a major record label wasBang Tango'sPsycho Café in 1989.[9] Benson states that discoveringPro Tools in 1998 while working withSepultura was a major turning point in his career. He was asked to produceP.O.D.'sThe Fundamental Elements of Southtown album in 1999, which became a platinum-selling record.[10] In 2000, Benson produced P.O.D.'s multi-platinum-sellingSatellite at Bay 7 Studios, and continued to record numerous albums at that location. Over the next few years, Benson produced records from acts likeCold,Crazy Town, P.O.D.'sPayable on Death, andThree Cheers for Sweet Revenge fromMy Chemical Romance. He later produced numerous multi-platinum records such asThe All-American Rejects,Hoobastank,Flyleaf,Daughtry,Seether,Third Day,Theory of a Deadman,Three Days Grace,Skillet,Santana,Adam Lambert,Kelly Clarkson andCaleb Johnson.
He now produces exclusively at West Valley Recording Studios, in Woodland Hills.[11]
Benson stated that he utilizesAuto-Tune in the studio and that those who do not are "nuts".[12] Benson prefers to record in what he calls a "parallel system," in which musicians will record their parts in isolated rooms.[6] After the recording of an album, Benson typically brings the track to his home studio, Sparky Dark Studios, where he personally adds to the arrangement.
Benson has worked as an A&R consultant atGiant Records,Elektra Records, andWarner Bros. Records.[2]
Benson produced and appears inAttack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie, which is a 2016 documentary film directed byDrew Fortier about 80s hard rock bandBang Tango for whom Benson had produced two albums.[13]
In 2021 Benson andThree Days Grace drummerNeil Sanderson co-founded the record label Judge & Jury Records.[14]
Benson has served as a producer for numerous musical acts, includingSaosin,Hoobastank,Three Days Grace,My Chemical Romance,P.O.D.,Escape the Fate, andDaughtry.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Alive" | Best Metal Performance | Nominated |
| 2002 | "Youth of the Nation" | Best Hard Rock Performance | Nominated |
| "Portrait" | Best Metal Performance | Nominated | |
| 2005 | The Reason | Best Pop Vocal Album | Nominated |
| "The Reason" | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Himself | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical[15] | Nominated |
| Daughtry | Best Rock Album | Nominated | |
| "It's Not Over" | Best Rock Song | Nominated | |
| "Home" | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Nominated | |
| "It's Not Over" | Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Himself | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical[16] | Nominated |
| 2010 | All I Ever Wanted | Best Pop Vocal Album | Nominated |
| "Born Again" | Best Gospel Performance | Nominated | |
| "Born Again" | Best Gospel Song | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Stronger | Best Pop Vocal Album | Won |
| "Love Bites (So Do I)" | Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Passion of the Christ: Songs | Special Event Album of the Year | Won |
| 2009 | Revelation | Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year | Won |
| 2010 | Awake | Rock Album of the Year | Nominated |
| "Hero" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Memento Mori | Rock Album of the Year | Nominated |
| "One Day Too Late" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Lucy" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2013 | New Horizons | Rock Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Release the Panic | Rock Album of the Year | Won | |
| "Sick of It" | Rock Song of the Year | Won | |
| "Who We Are" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Perfect Life" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Strike Back" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Rise | Rock Album of the Year | Won |
| Release the Panic: Recalibrated | Rock Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Not Gonna Die" | Rock Song of the Year | Won | |
| "Die For You" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Run and Escape" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Zombie" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2015 | "Good to Be Alive" | Rock Song of the Year | Won |
| "Dead Man" | Rock Song of the Year | Nominated |
In 2017 Howard Benson partnered with audio plug-in developer STL Tones to create the Howard Benson - Producer Kemper Pack[17] and in 2018 they released STL Tonality - Howard Benson Guitar Plug-In Suite.[18] In 2020 Howard partnered with Joey Sturgis Tones and released his signature vocals plugin, Howard Benson Vocals. In 2022, Howard partnered with Joey Sturgis Tones again and released his signature voice generation plug-in, the Howard Benson Vocal Multiplier.[19]
| Software | Function | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Benson - Producer Kemper Pack | Amplifier Emulator for Kemper Amps | 2017 |
| STL Tonality - Howard Benson Guitar Plug-In Suite | Amplifier Emulator forDAWs | 2018 |
| Howard Benson Vocals by JST | Vocal Chain forDAWs | 2020 |
| Howard Benson Vocal Multiplier | Voice Generation Plug-In forDAWs | 2022 |
Howard describes himself as a Conservative Jew. In Philadelphia, he was a member of Temple Beth Hillel, where his brother Mitchell is a past president. In California, he joined Temple Aliyah. Despite marrying Monica in LA, his rabbi from Philadelphia officiated.
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