Born in 1949 Oscar Benton had a long career in the blues. His worldwide break through came when actor Alain Delon used a song, recorded by Oscar Benton, in the movie 'Pour la peau d'un flic' in 1981. Originally written by Artie Kaplan and Artie Kornfeld, the Bensonhurst Blues was recorded by Oscar almost a decade earlier. Catching dust ever since. The movie would change that instantly.
An almost sixty year blues career, with the inevitable ups and downs, ended abruptly after an accident and a coma, causing Oscar to fight his way back, just to live a normal live. His struggle to overcome the effects of the coma resulted in a farewell concert in 2010. After this show, performing and singing were history.
But stranger things happen. And so the love for the blues, old band members caring and a demand from abroad made the Oscar Benton Bluesband jump back on the train. In the last couple of years Oscar Benton has done shows and TV appearances in Romania, France, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
In the days that Bensonhurst Blues was a hit record, the movie 'Pour la peau d'un flic' was forbidden in countries in Eastern Europe. People risked retaliation from the communist regimes, getting caught watching the movie.
Today the people are free. And they welcome Oscar as a long lost friend. This inspired blues guitar player and friend of Oscar, Johnny Laporte - Barrelhouse, to start writing new songs and recording a new album. Different than the old works of Oscar. More intimate and fragile at times, but still sung with that distinctive voice.
Oscar is having a good time, enjoys life as it comes and is well aware of the fact that this album could be his legacy. To sum it all up in Oscar his own words: I am back!