Benj 'n James Band

Benj 'n James is a man who overcame enormous adversity and has become a one man band writing and recording everything from guitar to percussion to vocals. He has a huge fan base on myspace and he is catching attention of promoters.

After contracting transverse myelitis, which causes swelling in the spine, and suffering a stroke from a blood clot, Benj 'n James was paralyzed. Through determination and arduous work, he regained the use of his arm, and started writing poetry, which eventually led to music. In 2011 and Benj 'n James has quickly become a dramatic force in the Electronic rock scene.

Who were your early music inspirations?

David Bowie, Matchbox 20, and, in part, The Beatles.

How would you classify your music?

Alternative, with some soft rock and punk mixed in.

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You went thru so much with contracting spinal dystrophy and the subsequent stroke, you are truly an inspiration. Tell me how it changed your life and influenced your music.

Going through having spinal dystrophy and having a stroke made me rethink my life and realize the my minimal aspirations to work in a mail room for the P.A. state government needed to be improved as well as that I needed a true sense of direction in my life.

Tell me about your cds and new projects you have?

I’m currently working on one single and refining its sound.

What would you like people to get from your music?

I want them to go away feeling thoroughly entertained. In general, as long as they don’t try to use it as an excuse for violence, such as Helter Skelter or what Limp Bizkit’s song titled Break Stuff was at Woodstock ’99, I’m happy with people simply feeling entertained by my music. On a side note, I’m slowly becoming a big Beatles fan through regularly listening to their mp3's whenever I go on long family road trips. In that regard, I mean them no disrespect to them and my song titled, Sheer Ambition, had a very positive and strong Beatles influence.

What would you like to be doing 5 years from now?

I would like to see myself still being happy and healthy by then.