By: Ryan Murphy
April 14, 2010
Atlanta, GA - Born and raised in the deep south of Rome (GA), Benji Shanks gets closer to legendary status with guitar moves that mimic the Southern Rock masters like Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaun, and Dickie Betts.
Playing publicly since 2003, Benji Shanks has come to be known by frequently guest performing with some of the southeastern region’s best bands. While there are many great legendary guitar players that preach the Southern Rock sound, there are few as good as Benji Shanks.
Picking up the guitar at the age of 13, Shanks started taking guitar lessons. Two years later, Benji joined his first band in high school as a freshmen.
“My first gig was in Rome (GA) when I was 15 with a bunch of guys that seemed really old to me, they were like juniors and seniors in high school,” said Shanks. The name of the band was called Spit Shine, a small punk rock band out of Rome high school.
Benji Graduated high school and went to school at Berry College for a year, when he got a job working at the local music store as a music teacher. “Going over scales and music 101 with the students, really helped me solidify my guitar theory,” said Shanks.
After college, Shanks left Rome for the Atlanta Institute of Music, where he finished his associates’ degree in guitar theory.
In 1997, Benji met singer songwriter Scott Warren (bassist and vocalist for Capt. Soularcat), who is Benji’s biggest musical influence. Traveling the Southeastern music circuit with Capt Soularcat for more than a decade, Shanks toured heavily in 2003 and learned what it was like to be on the road and play with some of the best musicians in the south.
“Benji is one of the most modest, amazing guitar players I have ever had the opportunity to meet. Following Soularcat on the road in 2005, was some of the best memories of music I’ve ever had,” said band groupie Lonnie Robinson. Lonnie also grew up in Rome where he has known the band for more than 8 years.
Benji toured with Captain Soularcat until the end of 2006, when he got the opportunity to go out on the road with the Black Crows in the Summer of 2007.
“Jimmy Herring’s guitar tech, Eric Predo, has been a long-time friend of mine, and he helped me score the summer job with the Crowes. I received a great education being on the road with them, something that you can’t get anywhere else other than going out and being on the road and doing it.” said Shanks.
Widespread Panic’s guitar player, Jimmy Herring, caught wind of Benji’s rising success and invited him for a few guest appearances with the band. Benji, sat in with Widespread Panic in Knoxville, Tennesee, for a song cover Panic plays called “Ophelia” by The Band.
“A lot of people have asked if that was the biggest crowd I’ve played to, and while it was not necessarily so in terms of the number of people there, in terms of the energy that you felt when you walked out on that stage, I’ve never felt that kind of energy before playing in front of a crowd of people,” said Shanks.
Shortly after the summer job as guitar tech for the Black Crows, Benji was invited to a gig on Nassau Island where he played with the legendary Chuck Levelle from the Rolling Stones, and Butch Trucks from the Allman Bros. band.
In 2007, Shanks played with several Atlanta bands like Tishamingo, Outformation, and The Last Walts Ensemble, making ends meet by playing with as many musicians as time would allow 7 days a week.
Long time best friend of Benji, Dave Kudlats said, “ Ive been watching Benji grow as a musician for more than ten years, and if he continues to play with musicians like Jimmy Herring, and bands like the Last Walts Ensemble I have no doubt he will land a gig with a famous band in the future.”
Currently, Benji still lives in Atlanta with his girlfriend and is playing guitar with the Justin Brogdon band, and the Last Walts Ensemble.
Benji said, “I like playing with Justin Brogdon. To me, he hands down, writes some of the most awesome material that lets me, as a rock guitar player, play both rhythm and lead, because it’s all such beautiful stuff."
As Shanks plays the Atlanta music circuit and gains the attention of legendary musicians, Atlanta Benji fans can’t wait to see what band he will choose next.
Die hard fan, Jillian Franz says, “it doesn’t matter who Benji is playing for, he makes every band he plays with sound amazing, I just cant wait to see him again.”
