6. Benny Benjamin
The founder of Motown, Berry Gordy, had an in-house studio band called The Funk Brothers where they could play on all the records. Benny Benjamin was the drummer, the maestro and musical genius of the group. “He had a distinctive knack for executing various rhythms all at the same time,” said Gordy. “A pulse, a steadiness, that kept the tempo better than a metronome.”
Thanks to Benjamin’s expert hands, songs like The Temptations’ “My Girl” and Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” were possible to be made. Even American singers and songwriters were inspired by him! Wonder even said, “Man, he was one of the major forces in the Motown sound. Benny could’ve very well been the baddest”.
