"The fundamental factor in playing, teaching, listening and learning about music is enjoyment."
Ben Hughes is a singer, songwriter and musician, that crosses the gaps and genres between Michael Buble Jason Mraz and John Mayer. His increasing reputation as a formidable guitar player and singer-songwriter has already earned him enviable opportunities to perform alongside some of the worlds most prodigious talents including Sir Paul McCartney, Tommy Emmanuel and Fleetwood Mac.
Ben is a graduate from the Liverpool Institue for Performing Arts (LIPA), during which time he was dubbed affectionately as ‘Benny crazy fingers’ by his peers. Having been selected from a song-writing group for a personal meeting with Sir Paul McCartney, Ben performed some material for him from his solo album. “I even played 'Yesterday' and ‘Blackbird’ with him” Ben remarks. Paul enjoyed jamming the songs so much that he signed Ben’s guitar and made an expressed desire to hear the finalised album. Ben's infectious enthusiasm and incredible technical expertise have become a trademark on the underground festival circuit. His fluency, emotional commitment and lyrical content is frequently admired. Ben, not one to be satisfied easily, has taken time to discover and develop his compelling style carving a niche for himself in the industry. As a talented multi-instrumentalist, Ben has always had critical acclaim from, celebrities, journalists and radio networks alike.
"The thing I loved about your music the instant I heard it, was how positive it is…I think you let the audience feel that with you." - Tommy Emmanuel
It is a personal desire of Ben’s to keep branching out and continue performing to a wider audience. When Ben is not recording, writing or touring, he teaches music to a variety of students. His influences are as broad as you might expect, citing Tommy Emmanuel and Django Reinhardt as his main influences for guitar playing but then citing musicians such as Joni mitchell, James Taylor, Peter Gabriel, Francis Dunnery, Lindsey Buckingham, Jack Johnson, Roland Orzabal, and The Beatles amongst others, as artists for whom he has the highest admiration.
Ben frequently says that his musical skills and achievements come from a lifetime of love for his art, hard work, and that his original motivations for learning and playing music were not from a desire to impress. “You can never hope to know everything there is to know, but I do know what I like," Ben quotes. "The fundamental factor in playing, teaching, listening and learning about music is the enjoyment.”
At the start of 2011, Ben was given the honourable opportunity of being able to perform his own material alongside his idol; the incredible guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. Tommy fell in love with Ben's music and has since invited him to perform on more support slots on Tommy's tours. "The thing I loved about your music the instant I heard it, was how positive it is, you really have such a great outlook on life. Music is not only our gift but it is also our way out; it is our escape. This is a really good thing, and I think you really let the audience feel that with you." - Tommy Emmanuel. In the early months of 2011 Ben began a creative and collaborative partnership with singer Tricia McTeague, and later began performing alongside talents such as Gary Potter, Gareth Pearson and Adam Palma.
Ben has been collaborating with artists Henry Priestman and Lotte Mullan, soon to release a new album of material to be released in 2012.
Music has been a way for me to connect with so many different people all over the world. I'm so grateful to be able to enjoy this experience and to have made a career out of something I love to do. The beautiful thing about music is that there is always more to learn. There is a cornucopia of imaginative people out there revitalising music and always keeping it fresh. I feel it is so important to keep writing more material, but to always take care not to diminish the quality. Sometimes the industry can become very intense, and unrelentingly competitive. There seems to be an unnecessary constant pressure to improve, reinvent, and indulge in a media-frenzied contest with fellow musicians vying for recognition. I say to hell with all of that. Try to learn what you love, play what you enjoy and do the job of entertaining as best you can. After all, at the end of the day – it’s only music
See you on the road…
Ben Hughes X 
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