Few guitarists have careers as diverse as Renee Benton. A veteran performer who has toured across 42 U.S. states and more than 70 countries, Benton has worked in rock, metal, R&B, soul, pop, film, EDM, and beyond. Along the way, he’s collaborated with artists ranging from Chubby Checker to Belizean icon Andy Palacio, served as a music supervisor on award-recognized film projects, and continued to push his own instrumental music through albums like Expressions and Expressions II.
In this interview, Benton discusses how playing across genres shaped his musical identity, the lessons he learned in the Marine Corps, why today’s guitar virtuosos need to focus more on songwriting, and the unforgettable moment an airline gave his guitar its own seat on a flight to Singapore.
You’ve toured across 42 states and over 70 countries. How have those global experiences shaped your musical identity and guitar style?
Renee: The major part is I’ve played with a lot of different types of people. I haven’t just been in the rock and metal world. It’s been some R&B and soul people, pop people, Top 40 folks. When you take on all those genres, you pull some of that into what you do. You take a certain song structure, a sense of melody, a sense of groove, and you make your own gumbo, if you will.
That’s a huge advantage. When you’re just coming from one musical place, that’s exactly what you’re going to regurgitate. But when you come from multiple musical places and you put it together properly, it doesn’t sound schizophrenic or anything. It actually sounds melodic. So that has really been a huge blessing to me.
Your influences range from Kansas to Cameo. How do you blend such different genres into a cohesive sound?
Renee: Without trying. I just go with the flow of things. The bands are one thing, and then the individual players are different. My guitar influences are, of course, Kansas and Cameo—that’s my center mass.
Outside of that, I’m influenced by George Benson, Roy Clark, Jesse Johnson, Anthony Lockett, Charlie Singleton, and Tony MacAlpine. I just blend all that together. I don’t let anything go. I hold on to those influences. That’s how I do it. I don’t want it to sound like a big mess, but cohesive. I let my mind work naturally, holding on to the things that are near and dear to me and implementing newer things on top—sort of like frosting on a cake.
How did your time in the Marine Corps impact your discipline, work ethic, or perspective as a professional musician?
Renee: Probably the biggest takeaway is being inconvenienced as a musician and knowing that things are going to go wrong, but you just keep going forward. That would be my Marine Corps takeaway because things were far from perfect in the Marines, and far from organized at times.
I learned how to be very flexible in that world. So anything outside of that world is a cakewalk to me. It’s never too bad.
You’ve worked with artists across many genres—from Chubby Checker to collaborators connected to Anita Baker and Tony Rich. What have those collaborations taught you about adaptability?
Renee: Be flexible as a songwriter, and don’t be hung up on an identity. Sometimes guitar players think they have an identity. Some do. There are a couple of guitar players who truly have an identity, but for the most part, you don’t.
When you go play with all these different folks, hold on to some of your identity because that’s what got you there. But don’t be afraid to step outside of your musical identity to make a song work a little better.
One of the more recent guitar players that’s really blown me away is Matteo Mancuso. Are you familiar with Matteo, and are there any new players on the scene that excite you?
Renee: I’m familiar with a lot of them. Thanks to the internet, you somehow end up in somebody’s algorithm. Matteo has incredible technique. I think that’s what separates him.
I was telling someone recently, “I’m waiting for him to write his first song.” What I mean is this: throughout history we’ve had guitar players with incredible technique, and they always give us that one song—the song that’s going to be on their headstone, the one that transcends generations.
Eddie Van Halen gave us at least one song to remember him by. Steve Vai has. Joe Satriani has. George Benson has. Al Di Meola has. Eric Johnson has.
When I say I’m waiting for him to write his first song, I mean I’m waiting for him to write that song people will remember him by—and I’m not just talking about musicians.
I get it. Maybe you’re talking about something within a traditional verse-chorus structure?
Renee: Not necessarily. Just something memorable. A part of the song that’s memorable.
That’s what sustains most musicians long after they’re gone. People say, “Wow, that was a great song. It really moved the needle.”
When you’re a virtuoso guitar player—and there are tons of them nowadays—you have to surround yourself with songwriters because they’ll make you play maybe two or three notes less to develop a melody. Are you familiar with the song Spain by Chick Corea?
No.
Renee: It’s a jazz fusion song from many years ago. Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke—they all had incredible chops, but somehow they gave us these memorable songs before getting back to the more technical side.
I’d like to see more of that nowadays. Guys have already established themselves as virtuosos. Now give us a couple of songs people can remember, then go back to doing whatever you want.
I was just saying to someone the other day, I think the goal at some point is to give people something to hum along to. Just a little bit, and then go off. Because that’s what keeps the art going. Art will die without melody.
Your album Expressions has been described as a fusion between Stevie Wonder and Tony MacAlpine. What was your creative vision going into that project?
Renee: Expressions was really about proving a point. It was to prove I could write a decent song and play okay. It was a statement piece.
I put a real emphasis on melody, and then I put technique in there because I had to check that box. But I always wanted to be able to go back years later and say, “That song was cool. It had melody. There are parts I can hum.”
Some songs I wrote, I thought, “There’s not enough melody here. I don’t think I ever want to put that out.” That’s what Expressions was about.
On Expressions II you brought in high-level collaborators like Phillip… is it just pronounced the way it’s spelled?
Renee: Yes.
…and Atma Anur. How did those musicians influence the direction of the album?
Renee: I know those guys personally, so they’re friends of mine. When I was writing the songs for Expressions II, I knew exactly who I wanted for each track.
There was no guessing. I wanted Phillip for this song, Mel Brown for that one, Atma for another. I just hoped I’d be able to get them, and it turned out exactly the way I wanted.
The songs were essentially tailor-made for the people I brought in. I also had my brother Kelly Conlon, who played with Death and Monstrosity, play bass on “Push Pull.” I wanted him specifically because he fit that song.
You recorded with Andy Palacio, who was a major cultural figure. What did that experience mean to you personally and artistically?
Renee: I was in Belize in the early 2000s touring, and I went into a gift shop. They were still selling CDs then, and I noticed a label called Stone Tree Records.
I contacted the president and said, “I’ve listened to some of your artists. I want to play on a record.”
This was before everything was digital. He agreed and sent me a box of CDs. I was staying with a friend in Burbank who had a studio, and we recorded the guitar parts.
A lot of those songs were with Andy Palacio. I just thought he was one of their artists. I didn’t realize until afterward how huge he was—it was like finding out you had played with the Michael Jackson of Central America.
I never got to meet him before he passed away, unfortunately, but he liked what I did on his record. I like to diversify myself, and I’ll play with almost anyone. As long as I can get my fingers around it, I’ll give it a shot. That meant a lot to me.
You’ve also worked behind the scenes as a music supervisor on film projects, including one recognized by the NAACP. How does that role differ creatively from performing and recording?
Renee: As a music supervisor, one of the biggest things you do is find music that’s already been recorded and fits different scenes. You become a curator. You’re listening to lots and lots of music. That’s very different from recording.
Your ears have to be like rabbit ears. You have to hear something other people probably wouldn’t. It might not even be a whole song—it could just be a chorus or a pre-chorus. That’s what I learned. You need rabbit ears, and it’s never-ending.
Your latest live project, Live in Omaha, was recorded back in your hometown. What was it like returning there for such a meaningful recording?
Renee: I hadn’t performed or recorded in my hometown for a very long time. It took about two years to put everything together because of logistical challenges. It ended up making a much bigger impression than I expected. When it was over, I looked at all the raw footage. I wasn’t even planning to release it. It was just something for me to have. Then I thought, “I’d be an idiot not to do something with this.” It ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.
You’re now exploring EDM collaborations with Chris Moon, known for discovering Prince. What excites you most about moving into electronic music?
Renee: The collaboration with Mr. Moon happened a little while back. Somehow we connected, and he wanted some guitar on EDM material. I’ve always been open to multiple genres. He’s just one of many people I’ve worked with. When I was living in Japan, I did a lot of remix work with the AX Tracks label. DJs and remixers would take pieces of my guitar riffs and insert them into records. Chris is highly influential. He obviously knows music. It was a great experience, and I look forward to doing more work—not just with him, but with anybody moving in an EDM or house music direction. I like that stuff. It has a place.
After touring over 70 countries, what’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to your guitar while traveling? Lost luggage, customs confusion, or something even weirder?
Renee: I don’t know if I’d call it strange, but it was incredibly courteous. A buddy of mine sent me footage of luggage handlers at LAX throwing guitars around. That’s why you should carry your guitar with you if you can. I was flying to Singapore on Japan Airlines with my guitar. They took my guitar, gave it two seats, and strapped it in. I have a picture of it. They literally gave my guitar two seats and buckled it in. I’d never had that happen in my life. They understood how important that guitar was. It had a safe flight all the way to Singapore. Incredible. That’s the story of stories for me.
Very cool. Renee, thank you for your time. Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our listeners?
Renee: Thank you for having me. If people want to follow me, go to renebenton.net. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram. Coming up on April 10, I’m kicking off the Three Shredders tour with my brothers Matt Miller and Manuel. We start in Dallas and do a short run. Tickets are available for some of the shows, so come out and see us. We’d appreciate it.
Whether discussing songwriting, guitar technique, or a lifetime spent crossing musical boundaries, Renee Benton continually returns to one central idea: melody is what endures. While technical skill may impress musicians, it’s memorable songs that survive generations. For Benton, versatility isn’t about abandoning your identity—it’s about expanding it, embracing new influences, and never losing sight of the music that people can still hum long after the final note fades.
Categories: Interviews
Leave a Reply