Benjamin Burnley
| Benjamin Jackson Burnley IV | |
|---|---|
Burnley performing in February 2009
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 10, 1978 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | Rhiannon Burnley (née Napier) |
| Children | Benjamin Jackson Burnley V |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Frontman of Breaking Benjamin |
| Religion | Greek Orthodox |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Labels | Hollywood Records |
Benjamin Jackson Burnley IV (born March 10, 1978) is an American musician, composer, and record producer, best known as the founder and frontman of the American rock band Breaking Benjamin. As the sole constant of the group, Burnley has served as its principal songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist since its inception in 1998. Since signing with Hollywood Records in 2002, Burnley has composed five studio albums under the name Breaking Benjamin, two of which have reached platinum and one of which has reached gold in the United States. Outside of Breaking Benjamin, Burnley has also collaborated with acts such as Adam Gontier and Red.
Burnley's lyrical content frequently and most recently consists of cryptic, angst-ridden themes that "waffle between being plaintive and aggressive. "The singer has the range of a tenor and occasionally utilizes death growls in his singing. IGN described him as having a "somewhat innocuous voice that is crystal clear... fluctuating between contemplative subjectivity and growling anger." Burnley uses baritone guitars and drop tunings to match the range of his voice.
Benjamin Burnley was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey and grew up in Cape May County and in the Snyder County town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. At 16, he became home schooled and quickly passed the GED requirement. At 21 he moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he became a roommate of former Breaking Benjamin bass player Jonathan Price. During his early teen years he taught himself to play guitar by listening to Nirvana's Nevermind (he cites Nirvana as his biggest influence). Before Breaking Benjamin was formed, Ben Burnley earned money playing cover songs, mixed in with his own in various coffee houses and other all age venues mostly with local neighboring musicians . It was during this era that his band got its name. After performing a Nirvana cover, Ben knocked over a microphone (in imitation of his lifelong idol Kurt Cobain) and cracked it. The mic's owner walked onstage and said, "I'd like to thank Benjamin for breaking my f*cking microphone."
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Wikipedia