Rhian Benson | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rhiannon Afua Benson |
| Born | 10 January 1977 Accra, Ghana |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Website | RhianBenson.com |
Rhiannon Afua "Rhian" Benson (born 10 January 1977 in Accra, Ghana) is a Ghanaian-British soul and jazz singer and songwriter.
Benson was born in Accra, Ghana, to a Welsh mother, a singer, and an Ashanti father, a guitarist. [1] She has a younger sister and a brother. [2] She was raised in Ghana, India (where her family moved following a diplomatic posting of her father), [3] and her mother's native United Kingdom, where she eventually settled. Benson began playing piano and guitar and writing songs and poetry early. Before pursuing a music career, she attended the London School of Economics and gained a degree in econometrics.She continued her education by studying Economics through Harvard's extension certificate program, which she did not complete due to the illness of her mother. [4] Benson later worked at an investment bank. [5]
Once back in the UK, she performed in small London clubs and was discovered by the Los Angeles-based record label DKG Music. Benson moved to Los Angeles, California, to record her debut album, Gold Coast, released in October 2003. [6] [7] She wrote all the songs on the album, having composed the music on guitar and keyboards, and co-produced it with producers Bob Power and James Poyser.
Benson won a Mobo Award in 2005. [8]
With the help of Denmark's production duo, Jonas Rendbo and Daniel Fridell, Benson released her second album, Hands Clean, on 14 February 2011. [9] The album redefined modern soul as Benson [10] [11] sang with soulful electronic backing. The confessional tales of love, loss and life represented a bold, new direction for her. [12] "Better Without You" [13] was the first single released in February 2011.
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Media related to Rhian Benson at Wikimedia Commons| Authority control databases: Artists |
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