Benjamin Evans Rector (born November 6, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is an independent artist, and releases music under his own label OK Kid Recordings. Rector's career has amassed almost 2 billion streams with RIAA Gold and RIAA Platinum certifications, including his 2015 album Brand New and 2018's Magic which both peaked at No.1 on Billboard US Folk and No. 2 on Billboard US Rock and US Indie charts. Since 2011's Something Like This, every studio album has debuted on the Billboard 200. His songs have received airplay on Hot AC, Top 40, Country, AAA, and Christian radio stations.
Rector has a dedicated fanbase, regularly performing sold-out shows at amphitheaters across the United States. In addition to album-backed tours he completed The Old Friends Acoustic Tour spanning 2020 to 2024, and a run of symphonic performances with Cody Fry in 2023 to 2024 that premiered with two sold out nights at the Kennedy Center. Throughout his career he has also toured in supporting slots for Dan + Shay, Needtobreathe, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Dave Barnes, among others. He is set to perform 26 live shows nationwide throughout 2025 in conjunction with his upcoming album, The Richest Man in the World, set to release this year on May 30.
Rector was born in south Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of Evans Rector, a banker, and Bette Rector, a psychologist. He has two sisters. He did not grow up in a musical household, although Evans was a fan of Steve Winwood and Rector became a fan of his work at a young age.[1] He became interested in music in eighth grade, listening to the Star 103 radio station in Tulsa, which played music from the 1960s and 1970s; this is where grew fond of pop music.[2] The first song he learned on piano was the theme song of the animated television seriesRugrats in the 1990s.[3]
He took some piano lessons as a child, and after being inspired by camp counselors at a summer camp who played acoustic guitar, he began learning the instrument at 16, which later led him to begin songwriting at 16.[4][5][6] His first song, titled "Tonight", was an acoustic guitar piece about kissing a girl.[6] Rector attended high school at Tulsa's Metro Christian Academy. One class he took was dedicated to praise and worship, which he credits as the beginning of his interest in music. Each week he was taught the technics of music, forming a set, and performing in a band.[1] Meanwhile he would also play music at his church.[7]
Rector began learning how to sing after watching a performance by Ben Kilgore at his high school. He also formed a high school band, Euromart, for a Battle of the Bands competition hosted by newspaper Tulsa World. His first performance was at Cain's Ballroom.[8] He would re-recruit Euromart to perform in the music video for his song "Old Friends" in 2018.[9][10] Throughout high school he would perform locally.[2] He graduated from Tulsa's Metro Christian Academy in 2005 and resumed playing piano,[5] and from the University of Arkansas in 2010 with a degree in business and marketing.[11]
Rector met his wife Hillary at the University of Arkansas their freshman year. They married in 2009 and relocated to Nashville shortly afterward.[4][12] They had one daughter in 2017, Jane, and twin sons in 2020, Roy and Robert "Bert".[4] He is an avid golfer, playing at private clubs and notable golf courses while on the road, and competes actively in PGA golf tournaments.[13][14] Rector is a Christian.[7]
Rector started seriously writing songs in college and began looking at it as something that needed to be practiced.[2] He released his first musical effort, a self-titled extended play (EP), in 2006.[8][15] After hearing about the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest he submitted a song from the EP, "Conversation"; Rector would win the grand prize in the Pop category, making him the youngest person to win the contest.[15] His sophomore year he would attend classes in the weekdays and tour exclusively on the weekends,[16] performing two to three shows a week. He would perform out of town, specifically anywhere within an 8-hour radius.[2] Rector described his early impressions of the music industry as a "fish out of water"; he gained more confidence as he noticed that the people attending his performances were exclusively those he did not recognize, giving him hope that he could pursue a music career.[8] A particular moment of clarity came when he performed at the Cambridge Room in Dallas, Texas to a sold-out crowd of 350 people, exclusively fans.[17]
Rector released Twenty Tomorrow in 2007,[16] his first full-length studio album.[18] His second album, Songs That Duke Wrote, released in 2008.[15] In April 2009, he was given the Northwest Arkansas Music Award (NAMA) for best male singer-songwriter.[19]
2010–2014: Into the Morning, Something Like This and The Walking in Between
Something Like This released just one year after Into the Morning, on September 13, 2011.[23][24] It was his first album to appear on the Billboard 200.[25] Throughout September 2011 Rector toured in association with Something Like This with The Good Time Tour, performing in over 25 cities.[23] Rector was spotlighted by Amazon via their "Artist On The Rise" program throughout October and November in 2011.[26] "She Is", the seventh song on the album, was covered by Lady Antebellum on their 2014 album 747.[27]
Produced by Rector, Jamie Kenney and Charlie Peacock, 2013's The Walking in Between was the first release on Rector's own Aptly Named Recordings label, which released on August 20, 2013. He toured 32 cities for the album with The Walking in Between Tour throughout October 2013.[26] "Beautiful" was highlighted by iTunes via their Single of the Week promotion in July 2013, and Live Nation Entertainment selected Rector for their "One's to Watch" program, two achievements that further advanced Rector's career.[28][26] In 2014, Rector briefly took a break from songwriting to front the Huey Lewis and the News cover band Newy Lewis and the Hues,[29] releasing a three-song EP on August 8, 2014, singing and recording all parts.[30]
Rector released his sixth studio album, Brand New, on August 28, 2015, via Aptly Named Recordings. Brand New was notably successful for Rector, becoming his first album to enter the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with its lead single "Brand New" peaking at No. 89 on the Hot 100. "Brand New" was RIAA-certified gold in 2020, and certified platinum in 2023.[25] To support the commercial success he would spend two years touring for the album. The first tour, The Brand New Tour, spanned two legs from 2015 to 2016. It was commercially successful, having 15 sold-out shows in the first leg and selling over 41,000 tickets.[32] He followed the tour with The Biggest Tour I Have Done So Far Tour, aptly named, which featured an additional 20 dates and spanned the rest of 2016.[33] Touring for Brand New was 73 performances in total.[34]
On June 22, 2018, Rector released his seventh studio album, Magic, his first with his founded label OK Kid Recordings.[39] Rector toured for Magic with Magic: The Tour, a headlining tour spanning 28 dates, beginning on September 19, 2018, to November 17, 2018.[34] A second leg was performed that continued into mid 2019.[40] A live album, Magic: Live From the USA, was recorded during Magic: The Tour in various locations and was released on June 21, 2019.[41] Also in 2019, Rector was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Performance for his appearance on Pickler and Ben in 2018.[42]
In November 2020, Rector debuted “The Thanksgiving Song”, that celebrates the holiday Thanksgiving,[49] alongside the release of his holiday album A Ben Rector Christmas, a collection covering six classic Christmas songs. The album was followed by an additional rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the next year.[50] His next album was completed by December 2020, but he held off on releasing it until he could continue touring again.[51] On May 21, 2021, he released the single "Range Rover", which features musician Steve Winwood playing the Hammond organ. Winwood is one of Rector’s musical heroes and was originally named in the song's lyrics before agreeing to take part in its composition as well.[52]
On March 11, 2022, Rector released his eighth studio album, The Joy of Music.[53] The project features Snoop Dogg, Dave Koz, Kenny G, and Taylor Goldsmith and a short film created in conjunction with the record. In the film, Rector is led through seven songs from the album with associated cinematography by "Joy", a muppet monster created in collaboration with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.[54] Rector embarked on his headlining tour, The Joy of Music: Live Tour, in May 2022 with support from JP Saxe, Jake Scott, Jordy Searcy, and Stephen Day. A year later, on June 16, 2023, Ben released a 14-song live album ‘Live In Atlanta’ with songs heard and recorded on this tour.[55]
Since The Joy of Music Rector released several individual singles and collaborations. On August 5, 2022, Rector released "What Makes a Man", a single featuring Thomas Rhett, which discusses introspection relating to manliness and fatherhood. He performed the song as part of his Grand Ole Opry debut on August 9, 2022.[64] In March 2023, he and country musician Terri Clark performed a duet for her song "Now That I Found You" for her album Take Two.[65] On September 1, 2023, Rector collaborated with The Choir Room—a Nashville based choir collective—to release an alternate version of "Joy", which won a GMA Dove Award in July 2024.[66]
On February 2, 2024, Rector released a cover of "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" by Darrell Scott, a song he played every show throughout the 2023 revival of The Old Friends Acoustic Tour.[67] In March 2024 Rector released "Color Up My World" featuring country musician Hailey Whitters.[68] Rector wrote the song knowing he and Whitters were scheduled to open for Dan + Shay in the spring of 2024 with their Heartbreak On the Map Tour, and the two would duet the song live throughout it;[69] the song also received airplay on Sirius XM and The Bobby Bones Show.[70][71] On July 12, 2024, Rector released ‘Wreck’, a contemplative song about the life-changing results and gratitude of having children.[72]
Rector's upcoming release, The Richest Man in the World—dubbed by Rector as a "new era" in his music career—is set to release on May 30, 2025. Three songs from the album were pre-released on November 15, 2024. An associated full band tour, The Richest Man in the World Tour, will also coincide with the album's release and will span 26 dates throughout 2025.[73]
[Brand New audio file. "Hey, I know that song!" is the anticipated reaction]
Rector's music is dominantly within the pop genre, typically blending additional themes of rock and folk music. Many of Rector's songs are piano-driven.[74][75][76] Songs such as "Extraordinary Magic" and "Love Like This" are centered around the piano with orchestrated backing, while "Making Money" is exclusively raw piano.[5] Various influences for his music style include but are not limited to James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Randy Newman,[6]Huey Lewis and the News, and Steve Winwood.[77]
Lyrics frequently discuss themes of love, faith, and personal assessment and growth. Songs about love describe those that are true and long-lasting; songs from The Walking in Between were described as "wedding standards" by The Washington Post.[78] Most songs typically celebrate ordinary life over anything extraneous.[74] "Crazy" from 2015's Brand New, for example, praises the "crazy normal" lifestyle of his ordinary life, such as spending a quiet night at home.[79] These songs are usually influenced by his own marriage, and his children helped inspire songs discussing thoughts on fatherhood, as seen in "What Makes a Man".[64] "Daughter" from The Joy of Music features an audible cameo from his then two-year old daughter, Jane.[80]
Some songs are introspective, and reflect on past mindsets and personal assessment. "Peace" from Magic discusses finding peace through the life choices that have shaped him, rather than what's still yet to be achieved or never was.[81] "The Men That Drive Me Places" reflects on how lucky he is to have found success in his career, but primarily focuses on glorifying the inspiring lives of individuals who have driven him to concerts.[79] Other songs, such as "Sailboat", "30,000 Feet", and "Steady Love", contain general observations about self-worth and finding comfort in life.[82][80]
From left to right, top to bottom: Jordy Searcy, Austin Goodloe, Cody Fry, Chad Copelin, and Nathan Dugger are among the frequent collaborators to Rector's music.
Rector's history of performing at sporting events include the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals and the 2021 USSF World Cup Qualifying Match.[113][114] The United States Soccer Federation partnered with Rector to feature his unreleased song “New Day” as the soundtrack to promotional content for the qualification matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[115][116]ESPN used four iterations of songs from The Joy of Music, the most prominent of which was the use of "Sunday", as the soundtrack to Sunday Night Baseball; his song "Kids" was also used prominently in advertisements for the MLB Little League Classic.[117][14] Rector has spent significant time playing in and performing at PGA golf tournaments across the continent. Rector played in a celebrity bracket at the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and the 2023 Pro-Am the following year.[118][119] He also played at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in 2024.[120]
Ben Rector (left) performing for The Brand New Tour, with Cody Fry (center) on piano and Cory Wong (right) on guitarBen Rector (left) performing live for The Old Friends Acoustic Tour, with Austin Goodloe (center) and Jordy Searcy (right)
Ben Rector has been touring actively since college; as he became an established artist, each album release was backed with a tour across the United States, beginning with the Good Time Tour in 2012.[23] Rector tours nationwide with a full band. Outside of album-associated tours include The Old Friends Acoustic Tour, a stripped performance of his works spanning 33 dates, and co-headlining symphonic shows with Cody Fry, which featured orchestra renditions of some of his songs. Three live-recorded albums have been released: Live in Denver in 2014,[121]Magic: Live From the USA in 2019,[122] and Live from Atlanta in 2023.[123]
Into the Morning (2010): Into the Morning was Rector's first major release,[132] peaking at No. 11 on the BillboardTop Heatseekers chart.[133] The peaked also peaked at No. 5 on iTunes' pop chart and No. 10 on their album charts.[134] Track 3, "When A Heart Breaks", was certified gold in 2019 by the RIAA.[135]
Brand New (2015): Brand News is Rector's highest charting album to date. The album debuted No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking his first Top 10 album.[158] It also debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Current Rock Albums chart, No. 2 on the Billboard Album Core Genre Rock chart, No. 6 on the Billboard Album Sales chart, No. 3 on the Billboard Top Current Digital Album Sales chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard Top Folk Albums chart.[159][160] "Brand New" was his first single to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 82.[161] The song also reached No. 6 on the BillboardAdult Top 40,[162] No. 7 on Hot Rock Songs,[163] and No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[164]
The Joy of Music (2022): The Joy of Music debuted at No. 189 on the Billboard 200 charts,[176] and No. 17 in Top Album Sales in March 26, 2022.[177] That same week, "Sunday" debuted at No. 41 on the BillboardHot Christian Songs chart.[178] "Thank You" debuted on the BillboardChristian Airplay chart on April 23, 2022, and remained on the chart for 19 weeks, peaking at No. 33 on May 28, 2022.[179][180] The song also debuted on the Billboard Christian AC Airplay chart on June 4, 2022, remaining on the chart for 3 weeks and peaking at No. 27 on its debut week.[181] As an independent artist, the album debuted at No. 30 on the BillboardIndependent Albums chart.[182] The vinyl version debuted at No. 21 on March 26, 2022.[183]
^ abBartholomew, Dustin (April 24, 2009). "The 2009 NAMA Winners". Fayetteville Flyer. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.