Small-town radio guy…studio musician in Nashville…bright lights of Broadway… Ben Brogdon has kept busy doing what he loves: playing music. He’s had his share of Brushes with Near Greatness and was kind enough to share a few of them.
AUDIO: Interview with Ben Brogdon 30 min MP3
I knew Ben back in the 70s when he played bass in a local band here in central Arkansas. He had a “solo ride” on “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” that the dancers would just stand and watch as he played.
He was a DJ on one of the local radio stations as his day job, and he would come into the music store where I worked looking for new or different material. He had a great sense of humor.
I was Googling Ben’s name tonight to research the name of another musician who he played with in Little Rock back in the 70s, and was shocked to see that Ben had passed away. The last time I saw Ben was in the late 70s, when the band I was in (Tommy Riggs & Showtime) played a gig in Nashville, and Ben came out to sit in…I just recently listened to a tape we recorded that night, and it was such a hoot to hear Ben play…and scat…as only Ben could! Later that night, Ben shared some tapes he had made of him and Odell Martin sitting around a mike, jamming. Ben was quite a musician, quite a character, and quite a great human being. He will be missed.
I just wanted to say Thank you for posting this interview. Ben was my Uncle that I loved DEARLY! I have copied this link to my family. To hear his voice after he has passed brings tears and smiles at the same time. Thanks for the smiles! If you have anymore interviews or pics please forward them to my email – charlotte_mae2002@yahoo.com
I regret to inform that Ben Brogdon passed away on Sunday January 18, 2009, sometime between 1:00 and 7:00 am. He will be missed by so many but his stories will carry on forever.
Scott Self
“I’m gettin so old I gotta sing happy birthday just to remember my ‘own’ name”
~Ben Brogdon