“I had a hard time playing in tune. The producer stopped me and said, ‘George, tune up again.’ I didn’t realize the value of that until Breezin’ came out”: How George Benson landed a hit album by breaking the rules – and learning to play in tune

George Benson is really feeling it onstage as he performs in England in 2022 with his signature Ibanez jazz box
(Image credit: John Keeble/Getty Images)

At 81 years of age, George Benson remains razor-sharp on guitar – and in conversation. So sharp, in fact, that he’s embarking on a new and exciting journey: Breezin’ With The Stars, an immersive music event happening in Arizona in January.

It’s set to be jam-packed with workshops, performance, storytelling and expertise accumulated over a lifetime. And he’ll share this new platform with the likes of Steve Lukather, John Scofield, Tommy Emmanuel and many more.

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Andrew Daly

Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World, scribes for Rock Candy, Bass Player, Total Guitar, and Classic Rock History. Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm player), Keith Richards, continues to elude him.