Benjamin Burnley

Benjamin Jackson Burnley IV (born March 10, 1978) is an American musician, best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Breaking Benjamin. As the sole constant of the group, Burnley has served as its principal songwriter, lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist since its inception in 1999. Since signing with Hollywood Records in 2002, Burnley has composed six studio albums under the name Breaking Benjamin, three of which have reached platinum and two of which have reached gold in the United States.[1] Outside of Breaking Benjamin, Burnley has also collaborated with acts such as Adam Gontier[2] and Red.[3]

Benjamin Burnley
Burnley performing in 2016
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Jackson Burnley IV
Born (1978-03-10) March 10, 1978
Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1998–present
Member ofBreaking Benjamin

Life and career

Early life and career beginnings

Burnley was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and grew up in Ocean City, New Jersey, before moving with his family at the age of 12 to the Snyder County town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.[4] 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.

Breaking Benjamin
Main article: Breaking Benjamin

In 1998, Burnley and former lead guitarist Aaron Fink got together (along with Nick Hoover and Chris Lightcap) and started the band "Breaking Benjamin". Eventually, Burnley wanted to try something different and went out to California to try some new material. The other three members went on to form the band Strangers With Candy (later known as Lifer). They recruited old friend Mark Klepaski to play bass and he joined in, and shortly after, Nick Hoover was asked to leave the band.

In 1999, Ben Burnley moved back to Pennsylvania, and started a band called "Plan 9" with drummer Jeremy Hummel. Originally, the band was a three-piece. The lineups consisted of Benjamin on vocals and electric guitar, Jeremy on drums, and Jason Davoli on bass. Plan 9 would occasionally open for Lifer at home shows. During one show, Burnley said "Thank you, we're Breaking Benjamin," thus reclaiming the name from 1998. Later on, Klepaski left Lifer and found himself playing bass for Breaking Benjamin. Lifer continued going through struggles, and months later, Aaron Fink sat in for a set with Benjamin. Finally, Fink left Lifer, and was offered a spot in Ben Burnley's band, and they became a four-piece.[5]

Collaborations

Burnley has collaborated and performed with other acts as well. He has performed numerous live duets with fellow alternative metal bands such as Three Days Grace, Evans Blue and Disturbed. He made a guest spot on a special remix of The Drama Club's single "Brand New Day." He also co-wrote the Red hit song "Shadows" and Madam Adam song "Forgotten". Burnley has collaborated with former Three Days Grace singer Adam Gontier on a song titled "The End of the Day" (yet to be released).[6]

Lyrics and vocal style
Burnley with Breaking Benjamin in 2010

Burnley's lyrical content frequently and most recently consists of cryptic, angst-ridden themes that "waffle between being plaintive and aggressive." Burnley has the range of a dramatic tenor and occasionally utilizes death growls and screams in his singing. IGN described him as having a "somewhat innocuous voice that is crystal clear... fluctuating between contemplative subjectivity and growling anger."[7] Burnley uses baritone guitars and drop tunings to get a heavier sound in his music.[8]

Personal life

Burnley has several phobias, a fact that inspired the title of their 2006 album Phobia. Phobia's cover, which depicts a winged man hovering above the ground, represents Burnley's fear of flying, which has prevented Breaking Benjamin from touring outside the United States and Canada in the past.[9] However in May 2016, he and his band members traveled through ferry ship to Europe and made their first musical tour outside of North America. Breaking Benjamin again toured Europe in 2017 successfully. Burnley also suffers from hypochondria and a fear of the dark.[10] He incorporates his phobias into his music on the album We Are Not Alone in the song "Break My Fall", in which a pilot is heard over the music saying, "Mayday, mayday. Request permission to land. I cannot control the plane. We are in danger of crashing."

Burnley is an avid video gamer,[11] and conceived of the idea for Breaking Benjamin to write and record the song "Blow Me Away" for the soundtrack to Halo 2. The song "Polyamorous" is also featured on the games Run Like Hell, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw and WWE Day of Reckoning (along with their song "Firefly"). "The Diary of Jane" appears on NASCAR 07.[12]

Burnley is a recovering alcoholic, admitting in an interview that he wanted to "drink himself to death."[13] He says that he regrets ever drinking a drop of alcohol and suffers from Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome due to his past excessive drinking. Dear Agony was reported to be the first ever Breaking Benjamin record to be written by Burnley without the use of alcohol.[14]

He has a son born in 2014.

References
  1. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database". RIAA. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  2. Brutus, Lou (January 17, 2013). "Get The Dirt". KQRX 95.1. Brazos Communications West, LLC. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015.
  3. "Red - Shadows". iHeart Radio. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  4. Roncace, Kelly. 'Breaking Benjamin is back and going home with show at Trump Taj Mahal", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 8, 2015. Accessed August 9, 2018. "'I was born in Atlantic City, at the hospital there, and raised in Ocean City until I was 12 years old.' Burnley explained his family moved to Pennsylvania when he was 12 due to an increase in taxes at the shore town."
  5. "Breaking Benjamin Underground". The Shallow Bay. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  6. "DdirtRockforrecovery". Harddrive. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  7. Spence D. (September 11, 2006). "Breaking Benjamin - Phobia". IGN. j2 Global. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014.
  8. "Ben Burnley Talks About His Baritone Guitar And Low Tunings". YouTube. FRET12. Retrieved April 10, 2015. (verified channel, primary source).
  9. "Ben Burnley, Breaking Benjamin Interview on www.jodileib.com". Jodileib.com. November 22, 2004. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  10. "Benjamin Burnley biography, married, wife, illness, tattoos, interview, cancer, net worth • biography". bijog.com. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  11. "After 16 years, Breaking Benjamin's 'Halo 2' single 'Blow Me Away' is certified platinum". NEPA Scene. January 20, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  12. 12 maart 2008. "Tour Gaming with Breaking Benjamin". YouTube. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  13. "Breaking Benjamin". Listenin.org. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  14. Kory Grow (May 10, 2010). "Breaking Benjamin's Benjamin Burnley on Wet Brain and Motorcycle Accidents – Revolver Magazine". Revolvermag.com. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
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