Benny Ray Hester was born on May 3, 1948 in Waco,
Texas. Early on he sang with The Texas
Boys Choir and became the youngest member of the Texas swing band named Sam
Weaver and The Playboys. He was also a
founding member of the Texas pop/rock band The Morticians. In 1972 Benny recorded his first solo album
with Elvis’ TCB Band. Most copies of it
were destroyed in a studio and warehouse fire.
He released his self-titled debut CCM album in 1978. He had accepted Christ at a traveling tent
crusade called Christ is the Answer.
Over the years he became known for songs such as ‘Nobody Knows Me Like
You’, ‘Legacy’, and ‘To Fill our Empty Hearts’.
His mid 80’s song ‘When God Ran’ was the longest running Number 1 song
in CCM history, holding that spot for thirteen weeks. From 1992 to 1996 he was a driving force
behind the Nickelodeon tv show Roundhouse, which was popular with tweens and
teens. Back in 1989 Benny released the
album PERFECT on Frontline Records. It
was co-produced with Bill Baumgart.
To start things off, ‘Headlights on the Highway’, written by
Lauren Stalnecker, is an upbeat pop/rock song that includes a good electric
guitar solo. It conveys a desire to
rescue others: “Out on the turnpike/Running in the fast lane/Speeding to
nowhere/Getting caught in the rain/The signs are provided/To keep you on
track/It’s getting harder to see them/So you better turn back/Headlights on the
highway/That is what I want to be/Headlights on the highway/Just to help you
see (2X)”. ‘Before you know It’ is an
adult contemporary number based on Ecclesiastes. Here are some of the words: “To live in this
hour is all that I wanna do/But time moves so quickly and precious is the heart
that’s true/The hard times that we face may frighten us/But trust Him, it’ll be
OK, cause/Before you know it, this could all be gone/Before you know it, life
moves us on/Before you know it, love can fade away”.
Matthew 10:39 reads: “Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it”. ‘If you Die before you Die’ has a quirky rock
feel to it musically. The chorus goes:
``If you die before you die/Then when you die you won’t die/If you die before
you die/Then when you die you won’t die”.
Benny wrote the title track, ‘Perfect’, alone. It is a ballad of praise to God: “You’re
perfect/You helped me turn around, break free/You’re so perfect/Now You’re a
part of me/The love I knew before was a different kind/Without trying You
reached in and stole my heart this time/And for all that You’ve done and You
are/You’re perfect”.
‘Hungry World’ speaks of the spiritual need in society: “I
was cruisin’ the drag in my car/Flipped the radio on and it’s the news/I just
don’t like what I hear/I’ve got a little sister, she was alright, jack/But
someone turned her on to a little bit of crack/I lived through the sixties, but
now we’re hangin’ by a thread/I took a deep breath, turned to my girl and
said/Oh, oh, oh, baby, it’s a hungry world (2X)”. ‘You Weren’t Meant to Live your Life Alone’
is a quiet song penned by Benny and Niles Borop. It reminds us that no man or woman is an
island: “You weren’t meant to live your life alone/Open up now, don’t close me
out/You don’t have to make it on your own/Let me know what your life is
about/’Cause I love you just the way you are/And you know I’m talking straight
from my heart/No, you weren’t meant to live your life/You don’t have to live
your life/You weren’t meant to live your life alone”.
‘Two Good Reasons’ is a pop/rock story song that begins like
this: “Suzanne Lavern and Bobby Mack Birch/Two carefree kids that both went to
my church/Things made a turn the day that they learned/She would be a mom, he
would be a dad very soon/And if they wait any more, they’re never gonna live it
down/They’d plan to marry someday/So Bobby pleaded/’Suzie, hear what I’m
sayin’/Give me two good reasons if I’m way out of line/I’ve got to know if your
heart feels just like mine’”. ‘This
one’s for Keeping’ relates a tale of spiritual transformation: “So surprising,
new horizons/Open around me now that You’ve found me/Like a child I find I’m
smiling/Oh what a wonder, I hardly understand/This feeling, my heart’s
reeling/This time it’s more than a dream.../Wide awake, I finally believe in
love and what it means/This one’s for certain/For healing up a heart that was
hurting/Holding on and never deserting love/This one’s for keeping”.
‘Passion, Possession, Position’ is a jazzy, funky, pop/rock
song written by Benny, Bill Baumgart, and Tim Heintz. It warns against following after the wrong
things: “Passion-everybody knows what that means/Intense desire-suffering/Possession-gotta
get it before it’s gone/You see someone else’s/So many things you wanna
own/Position-you wanna get ahead/See someone with power/You don’t wanna be you,
but them instead/These were the original, some play with dangerously/But they
can have you as easy as one, two, three”.
‘Shall We Gather at the River’ is beautiful. It begins with these hopeful, joyous,
old-school lyrics: “Shall we gather at the river/Where bright angel’s feet have
trod/With its crystal tide forever/Flowing by the throne of God/Yes, we will
gather at the river/The beautiful, beautiful river/Gather with the saints at
the river/That flows by the throne of God”.
While PERFECT is not a perfect
album, it does have its strengths.
Benny’s voice is passionate, unique, and memorable, sort of comparable
to that of Phil Collins. The background
vocals are very prominent on this release and are performed by Benny, Bob
Carlisle (Allies/Butterfly Kisses), Bill Baumgart, and Allison Beech. If you liked the 1980’s catalogue of
Christian pop/rock music by Rick Cua and Morgan Cryar, you should enjoy this
project. I’m rating PERFECT 86%. For more info visit: www.bennyhester.com.