About Banjo Ben

“Banjo” Ben Clark was raised on a large, working farm outside Kilgore, Texas, which had been passed down for generations. He was blessed to experience a traditional upbringing, a rarity nowadays, learning the definition of hard work and conservative family values. Blessed with incredible parents who displayed unconditional love paired with an ever-threatening “belt on the behind”, Ben was in church when the doors were open, at the barn with a bucket when the family of 6 needed milk, and at the piano for literally thousands of combined hours absorbing the masterpieces of J.S. Bach and the like. Though admittedly never having an inkling to pursue music as a kid, a late high school introduction to bluegrass sounds and his classical education were secretly forming a foundation he'd later build his professional life upon.

After graduating from the Trinity School of Texas in Longview, Ben set his sights on a childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. He enrolled in Texas A&M University in the fall of ’97, majoring in Biomedical Science while also enlisting in the university’s famed Corps of Cadets (Squadron 13). After a very poor, yet memorable, academic showing his first semester at A&M, paired with a newly found interest in forensic insect studies, Ben changed directions, said goodbye to ROTC, and switched his major to Entomology.

Graduating in December of 2000 and unsure exactly where his path was leading, Ben went back home to east Texas for a semester and drove a Mack truck for his dad’s excavation business. This allowed ample time for rethinking his professional career, while rediscovering what real work was all about. In the summer of 2001, Ben enrolled in graduate school at Texas A&M pursuing his master’s degree in Civil and Urban Forensic Entomology. A year and a half into his graduate studies and teaching fellowship found Ben burnt out in his formal educational journey. After a late night filled with procrastination of writing an insect physiology term paper, Ben stumbled upon the website of South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, where you could actually major in commercial music performance!

Following his God-sent curiosity in the program, Ben decided to resign from his graduate studies at Texas A&M and enroll in the junior college located in the flatland of west Texas, while nearly giving his parents and graduate mentors heart attacks. His time at SPC is what Ben calls, “The world’s best education for the buck!” During his two-year stint at South Plains College, Ben studied and progressed on the banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and piano while receiving scholarships granted by the Texas Panhandle Bluegrass Association and his hero-turned-friend, Tom T. Hall. At South Plains College, Ben received the professional tools needed to get a start in the daunting country music business. Ben made the move to “Music City” in the fall of 2004 after a summertime position of bandleader in a country band at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas.

Very soon after arriving in Nashville, Ben landed a job with a new artist on a nation- wide radio tour. This allowed him to cut his teeth in the music business, while seeing the country and making many important contacts along the way. Ben then briefly toured with platinum-selling artist Lila McCann (Down Came a Blackbird, I Want to Fall in Love), which then led to playing piano, banjo, and mandolin for former American Idol standout and Marine, Josh Gracin (Nothin’ to Lose). Shortly after marrying his college sweetheart, Hannah, in January of 2006, Ben accepted a position with Sony recording artist Craig Morgan (That’s What I Love About Sunday, Redneck Yacht Club), playing mainly piano along with banjo/mandolin. After an enjoyable 8 months with Craig, a new- on-the-scene, curly-headed blonde approached Ben about changing jobs. Sensing the talented singer/songwriter had a promising future, Ben once again made the switch and began playing banjo, mandolin, dobro, guitar, and piano for Taylor Swift in December of 2006. With Taylor, Ben toured the world, made dozens of national TV appearances (Good Morning America, Leno, Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and many more), and was even featured in major motion picture. In April of '09, Ben's friend and hunting buddy Gary LeVox (lead singer for country group Rascal Flatts) offered him, along with his sisters Penny and Katy, a publishing deal venture with Sony ATV. Feeling like he was once again being called in a different direction, Ben put in his resignation notice with Swift, joined forces with his sisters, and signed to Sony Publishing in November of '09.

After a year of writing, The Purple Hulls (Ben and sisters) hit the road, showcasing their unique harmonies only a family can achieve while ripping the strings off any instrument they can get their hands on. In January of 2011, Ben decided to take his love of teaching music to the next level, and unleashed the first version of BanjoBenClark.com!

2012 was a bittersweet year and brought life-changing news to the family. In January, Ben and Hannah welcomed their first daughter, Charlie Belle. However, that summer Ben’s father, Mack, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and would pass away one year later. The band put their plans on hold as Penny and Katy headed back to Texas to help take care of their father and farm, where the girls still live.

Since launching in 2011, BanjoBenClark.com has undergone several upgrades and facelifts, with the latest in summer of 2017. Though many changes have come to the design and navigation of the site, one thing remains the same: Ben’s commitment to his students’ learning and his passion to see them grow!

In his spare time Ben enjoys taking road trips with his family, hunting (especially archery elk), fishing, flying any plane he can get into, and eating authentic Mexican food. Ben was called by the Lord into ministry in 2012 and serves bi-vocationally as pastor of young adults/families at Tulip Grove Baptist Church in Hermitage, TN. He has taken seminary classes from Union University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY) and plans to pursue graduate work more in the future. Ben’s mission and hope for the website is to glorify God and be used by the Lord to make disciples.