Benjamin Evans Rector (born November 6, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer based inNashville, Tennessee. He is anindependent artist, and releases music under his own label OK Kid Recordings. Rector's career has withRIAA Gold and RIAA Platinum certifications, including his 2015 albumBrand New and 2018'sMagic which both peaked at No.1 onBillboard US Folk and No. 2 onBillboard US Rock andUS Indie charts. Since 2011'sSomething Like This, every studio album has debuted on theBillboard 200. His songs have received airplay on Hot AC,Top 40, Country,AAA, and Christian radio stations.
Rector has a dedicated fanbase, regularly performing sold-out shows at amphitheaters across the United States with each album release. In addition to album-backed tours he completedThe Old Friends Acoustic Tour spanning 2020 to 2024, and a run of symphonic performances withCody Fry in 2023 to 2024 that premiered with two sold out nights at theKennedy Center. He is currently performing 26 live shows nationwide throughout this year in conjunction with his albumThe Richest Man in the World, released on May 30.
Rector was born in southTulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of Evans Rector, a banker, and Bette Rector, a psychologist. He has two sisters. He did not grow up in a musical household, although Evans was a fan ofSteve Winwood and Rector became a fan of his work at a young age.[1] He became interested in music in eighth grade, listening to the Star 103 radio station in Tulsa, which played music from the 1960s and 1970s; this is where he grew fond ofpop music.[2] The first song he learned on piano was the theme song of theanimated television seriesRugrats in the 1990s.[3]
He took some piano lessons as a child, and after being inspired by camp counselors at a summer camp who played acoustic guitar, he began learning the instrument at 16, which later led him to begin songwriting at 16.[4][5][6] His first song, titled "Tonight", was an acoustic guitar piece about kissing a girl.[6] Rector attended high school at Tulsa's Metro Christian Academy. One class he took was dedicated topraise and worship, which he credits as the beginning of his interest in music. Each week he was taught music technique, how to form a set, and how to perform in a band.[1] He would practice these skills while playing music at his church.[7]
Rector began learning how to sing after watching a performance by Ben Kilgore at his high school. He also formed a high school band, Euromart, for aBattle of the Bands competition hosted by newspaperTulsa World. His first performance was atCain's Ballroom.[8] He would re-recruit Euromart to perform in the music video for his song "Old Friends" in 2018.[9][10] Throughout high school he would perform locally.[2] He graduated from Tulsa's Metro Christian Academy in 2005,[5] and from theUniversity of Arkansas in 2010 with a degree in business and marketing.[11]
Rector met his wife Hillary at the University of Arkansas their freshman year. They married in 2009 and relocated to Nashville shortly afterward.[4][12] They had one daughter in 2017, Jane, and twin sons in 2020, Roy and Robert "Bert".[4] He is an avidgolfer, playing at private clubs and notable golf courses while on the road, and has competed in theAT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.[13][14] Rector is aChristian.[7]
Rector started seriously writing songs in college and began looking at it as something that needed to be practiced.[2] He released his first musical effort, a self-titledextended play (EP), in 2006.[8][15] After hearing about the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest he submitted a song from the EP, "Conversation"; Rector would win the grand prize in the Pop category, making him the youngest person to win the contest.[15] His sophomore year he would attend classes in the weekdays and tour exclusively on the weekends,[16] performing two to three shows a week. He would perform out of town, specifically anywhere within an 8-hour radius.[2] Rector described his early impressions of the music industry as a "fish out of water"; he gained more confidence as he noticed that the people attending his performances were exclusively those he did not recognize, giving him hope that he could pursue a music career.[8] A particular moment of clarity came when he performed at the Cambridge Room inDallas, Texas to a sold-out crowd of 350 people, exclusively fans.[17]
Rector releasedTwenty Tomorrow in 2007,[16] his first full-length studio album.[18] His second album,Songs That Duke Wrote, released in 2008.[15] In April 2009, he was given the Northwest Arkansas Music Award (NAMA) for best male singer-songwriter.[19]
2010–2014:Into the Morning,Something Like This andThe Walking in Between
Something Like This released just one year afterInto the Morning, on September 13, 2011.[23][24] It was his first album to appear on theBillboard 200.[25] Throughout September 2011 Rector toured in association withSomething Like This with The Good Time Tour, performing in over 25 cities.[23] Rector was spotlighted byAmazon via their "Artist On The Rise" program throughout October and November in 2011.[26] "She Is", the seventh song on the album, was covered byLady Antebellum on their 2014 album747.[27]
Produced by Rector, Jamie Kenney andCharlie Peacock, 2013'sThe Walking in Between was the first release on Rector's own Aptly Named Recordings label, which released on August 20, 2013. He toured 32 cities for the album with The Walking in Between Tour throughout October 2013.[26] "Beautiful" was highlighted by iTunes via their Single of the Week promotion in July 2013, andLive Nation Entertainment selected Rector for their "One's to Watch" program, two achievements that further advanced Rector's career.[28][26] In 2014, Rector briefly took a break from songwriting to front theHuey Lewis and the News cover band Newy Lewis and the Hues,[29] releasing a three-song EP on August 8, 2014, singing and recording all parts.[30]
Rector released his sixth studio album,Brand New, on August 28, 2015, via Aptly Named Recordings.Brand New was notably successful for Rector, becoming his first album to enter the top 10 on theBillboard 200, with its lead single "Brand New" peaking at No. 89 on the Hot 100. "Brand New" wasRIAA-certified gold in 2020, and certifiedplatinum in 2023.[25] To support the commercial success he would spend two years touring for the album. The first tour, The Brand New Tour, spanned two legs from 2015 to 2016. It was commercially successful, having 15 sold-out shows in the first leg and selling over 41,000 tickets.[32] He followed the tour withThe Biggest Tour I Have Done So Far Tour, aptly named, which featured an additional 20 dates and spanned the rest of 2016.[33] Touring forBrand New was 73 performances in total.[34]
On June 22, 2018, Rector released his seventh studio album,Magic, his first with his founded label OK Kid Recordings.[39] Rector toured forMagic with Magic: The Tour, a headlining tour spanning 28 dates, beginning on September 19, 2018, to November 17, 2018.[34] A second leg was performed that continued into mid 2019.[40] A live album,Magic: Live From the USA, was recorded during Magic: The Tour in various locations and was released on June 21, 2019.[41] Also in 2019, Rector was nominated for aDaytime Emmy Award for Best Performance for his appearance onPickler and Ben in 2018.[42]
In November 2020, Rector debuted “The Thanksgiving Song”, that celebrates the holiday Thanksgiving,[49] alongside the release of his holiday albumA Ben Rector Christmas, a collection covering six classic Christmas songs. The album was followed by an additional rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the next year.[50] His next album was completed by December 2020, but he held off on releasing it until he could continue touring again.[51] On May 21, 2021, he released the single "Range Rover", which features musicianSteve Winwood playing theHammond organ. Winwood is one of Rector’s musical heroes and was originally named in the song's lyrics before agreeing to take part in its composition as well.[52]
On March 11, 2022, Rector released his eighth studio album,The Joy of Music.[53] The project featuresSnoop Dogg,Dave Koz,Kenny G, andTaylor Goldsmith and a short film created in conjunction with the record. In the film, Rector is led through seven songs from the album with associated cinematography by "Joy", amuppet monster created in collaboration withJim Henson’s Creature Shop.[54] Rector embarked on his headlining tour, The Joy of Music: Live Tour, in May 2022 with support fromJP Saxe, Jake Scott,Jordy Searcy, andStephen Day. A year later, on June 16, 2023, Ben released a 14-song live album ‘Live In Atlanta’ with songs heard and recorded on this tour.[55]
SinceThe Joy of Music Rector released several individual singles and collaborations. On August 5, 2022, Rector released "What Makes a Man", a single featuringThomas Rhett, which discusses introspection relating to manliness and fatherhood. He performed the song as part of hisGrand Ole Opry debut on August 9, 2022.[64] In March 2023, he and country musicianTerri Clark performed a duet for her song "Now That I Found You" for her albumTake Two.[65] On September 1, 2023, Rector collaborated with The Choir Room—a Nashville based choir collective—to release an alternate version of "Joy", which won aGMA Dove Award in July 2024.[66]
On February 2, 2024, Rector released a cover of "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" byDarrell Scott, a song he played every show throughout the 2023 revival of The Old Friends Acoustic Tour.[67] In March 2024 Rector released "Color Up My World" featuring country musicianHailey Whitters.[68] Rector wrote the song knowing he and Whitters were scheduled to open forDan + Shay in the spring of 2024 with their Heartbreak On the Map Tour, and the two would duet the song live throughout it;[69] the song also received airplay onSirius XM andThe Bobby Bones Show.[70][71] On July 12, 2024, Rector released ‘Wreck’, a contemplative song about the life-changing results and gratitude of having children.[72]
Rector's latest album,The Richest Man in the World—dubbed by event officials as a "new era" in his music career[73]—released on May 30, 2025. Three songs from the album were pre-released on November 15, 2024. An associated full band tour, The Richest Man in the World Tour, coincided with the album's release and spans 26 dates throughout 2025.[74]
On September 19, 2025, Rector released the single “Not Afraid To Try”.[75][76] On October 17, 2025, he released the single “This Town”.[77][78]
A segment of Rector's song "Brand New", reflective of common themes among his music. A piano-driven pop song, it compares a true love to first-time feelings and carefree energy.
Rector's music is dominantly within thepop genre, typically blending additional themes ofrock andfolk music. Many of Rector's songs are piano-driven.[79][80][81] Songs such as "Extraordinary Magic" and "Love Like This" are centered around the piano with orchestrated backing, while "Making Money" is exclusively raw piano.[5] Various influences for his music style include but are not limited toJames Taylor,Paul McCartney,Randy Newman,[6]Huey Lewis and the News, andSteve Winwood.[82]
Lyrics frequently discuss themes of love, faith, and personal assessment and growth. Songs about love describe those that are true and long-lasting; songs fromThe Walking in Between were described as "wedding standards" byThe Washington Post.[83] Most songs typically celebrate ordinary life over anything extraneous.[79] "Crazy" from 2015'sBrand New, for example, praises the "crazy normal" lifestyle of his ordinary life, such as spending a quiet night at home.[84] These songs are usually influenced by his own marriage, and his children helped inspire songs discussing thoughts on fatherhood, as seen in "What Makes a Man".[64] "Daughter" fromThe Joy of Music features an audible cameo from his then two-year old daughter, Jane.[85]
Some songs are introspective, and reflect on past mindsets and personal assessment. "Peace" fromMagic discusses finding peace through the life choices that have shaped him, rather than what's still yet to be achieved or never was.[86] "The Men That Drive Me Places" reflects on how lucky he is to have found success in his career, but primarily focuses on glorifying the inspiring lives of individuals who have driven him to concerts.[84] Other songs, such as "Sailboat", "30,000 Feet", and "Steady Love", contain general observations about self-worth and finding comfort in life.[87][85]
From left to right, top to bottom:Jordy Searcy, Austin Goodloe,Cody Fry,Chad Copelin, and Nathan Dugger are among the frequent collaborators to Rector's music.
Ben Rector (left) performing for The Brand New Tour, withCody Fry (center) on piano andCory Wong (right) on guitarBen Rector (left) performing live forThe Old Friends Acoustic Tour, with Austin Goodloe (center) andJordy Searcy (right)
Ben Rector has been touring actively since college; as he became an established artist, each album release was backed with a tour across the United States, beginning with the Good Time Tour in 2012.[23] Rector tours nationwide with a full band. Outside of album-associated tours includeThe Old Friends Acoustic Tour, a stripped performance of his works spanning 33 dates, and co-headlining symphonic shows withCody Fry, which featured orchestra renditions of some of his songs. Three live-recorded albums have been released:Live in Denver in 2014,[127]Magic: Live From the USA in 2019,[128] andLive from Atlanta in 2023.[129]
Into the Morning (2010): Into the Morning was Rector's first major release,[138] peaking at No. 11 on theBillboardTop Heatseekers chart.[21] The peaked also peaked at No. 5 oniTunes' pop chart and No. 10 on their album charts.[139] Track 3, "When A Heart Breaks", was certifiedgold in 2019 by theRIAA.[140]
Brand New (2015): Brand News is Rector's highest charting album to date. The album debuted No. 9 on theBillboard 200 chart, marking his first Top 10 album.[163] It also debuted at No. 2 on theBillboard Top Current Rock Albums chart, No. 2 on theBillboard Album Core Genre Rock chart, No. 6 on theBillboard Album Sales chart, No. 3 on theBillboard Top Current Digital Album Sales chart, and No. 1 on theBillboard Top Folk Albums chart.[164][165] "Brand New" was his first single to enter theBillboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 82.[166] The song also reached No. 6 on theBillboardAdult Top 40,[167] No. 7 onHot Rock Songs,[168] and No. 10 on theAdult Contemporary chart.[169]
The Joy of Music (2022): The Joy of Music debuted at No. 189 on theBillboard 200 charts,[181] and No. 17 inTop Album Sales in March 26, 2022.[182] That same week, "Sunday" debuted at No. 41 on theBillboardHot Christian Songs chart.[183] "Thank You" debuted on theBillboardChristian Airplay chart on April 23, 2022, and remained on the chart for 19 weeks, peaking at No. 33 on May 28, 2022.[184][185] The song also debuted on theBillboard Christian AC Airplay chart on June 4, 2022, remaining on the chart for 3 weeks and peaking at No. 27 on its debut week.[186] As an independent artist, the album debuted at No. 30 on theBillboardIndependent Albums chart.[187] The vinyl version debuted at No. 21 on March 26, 2022.[188]
^abBartholomew, Dustin (April 24, 2009)."The 2009 NAMA Winners".Fayetteville Flyer.Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 5, 2015.
^abcdeHizer, G.K. (March 22, 2012)."Urban Tulsa Weekly". Vol. 21, no. 39. p. 40.Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. RetrievedJanuary 12, 2024.
^abAlley, Rob (October 6, 2021)."Old Friends (w Ben Rector)".The Good Song Podcast.Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 17, 2024.
^Carter, McKenna (April 30, 2015)."Now Spinning: Ben Rector".Cardinal & Cream.Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 20, 2024.
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