Benmont Tench

Benmont Tench
Hollywood Bowl, October 1, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Montmorency Tench III
Born	(1953-09-07) September 7, 1953 (age 63) Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Rock, country
Instruments	Piano, organ, synthesizer, vocals
Years active	1974–present
Associated acts	Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stevie Nicks, Mudcrutch, Don Henley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Works Progress Administration
Notable instruments
Steinway Grand Piano Hammond C-3 organ Vox Continental organ

Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin Montmorency Tench Jr. and Mary Catherine McInnis Tench. His father was born and raised in Gainesville, and served as a circuit court judge.

Tench played piano from an early age and his first recital was at age six. After discovering the music of The Beatles, he ended his classical piano lessons and focused on rock and roll. At age 11, he met Tom Petty for the first time at a Gainesville music store. Petty and Tench played together as members of the Sundowners in 1964. The Tenches' garage was a frequent practice site for the band on evenings when his father was out for the evening. Tench's mother enjoyed having the boys there, but would check with the neighbors to make certain the music would not disturb them.

He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and subsequently Tulane University in New Orleans. While on a college break, Tench went to a concert by Mudcrutch, Petty's band, with an opening act from nearby Jacksonville, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Afterwards, he sat in with the band on several different sessions, then went back to school. Soon after, Petty called Tench and asked him to quit school and join Mudcrutch full-time, which after long deliberation, Tench agreed to; but before he would leave school, Petty had to convince Tench's father that his son had a promising music career.

Mudcrutch eventually evolved into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

In addition to playing piano and Hammond organ with the Heartbreakers, Tench is also known as a skilled session musician, having recorded with dozens of notable artists, including Johnny Cash, U2, Elisa, Stevie Nicks, Lucinda Williams, Sam Phillips, You Am I, Susanna Hoffs, Bob Dylan, Eurythmics, Roy Orbison, The Rolling Stones, Don Henley, John Prine, Ringo Starr, John Fogerty, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Waylon Jennings, Paul Westerberg, X, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Carlene Carter, The dB's, Alanis Morissette, The Ramones, The Screaming Trees, Warren Zevon, The Tragically Hip, The Divinyls, The Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Jeff Healey, The Cult, The Jayhawks, Dave Rawlings, Fiona Apple, Lone Justice, Sean Watkins, New Found Glory, Tift Merritt, Peter Case, Neil Diamond, Ryan Adams and Powderfinger, and Naughty Sweeties City of Glass.