By Alexander Johnson
For Seventies Soul.report.com
Born in the deep south, (Mobile, Alabama) Eric Benet’s flow and musicality was garnered during his upbringing in the midwest – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, specifically.
Primarily his career commenced during a time when Prince, Morris Day and the boys ruled the roost in Minnesota, not far from Wisconsin.
When he displayed his vocal abilities at the 15th annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival in September 2025, he disappointed none of his true fans – primarily, the women.
Due to his natural good looks, added with his musicality, Benet has enjoyed a certain amount of stardom since his debut in the early 1990s. During his Steel City show, he sung some of his more popular tunes such as “Georgie Porgie,” the Toto composition from 1978; he also offered a Roy Ayers compilation called “When You Think of Me” and the radio-hit aka wedding favorite, “Spend My Life,” the smash hit recorded with Tamia, NBA legend Grant Hill’s wife.
During somewhat of a brief performance in Pittsburgh, Benet offered his best. He showed that in a live setting, he can hit those high, falsetto-like notes – the ones the girls scream for.
But don’t get It twisted. Eric’s got some fellas rooting for him in the audiences too. He appears to be a humble kinda guy – the type of cool cat you may wanna smoke a cigar with or drink a cool one.
Beyond that, give promoters of the Pittsburgh Jazz Fest props for booking Mr. Benet. He definitely gave the audience their money’s worth. And hopefully, he’ll return to the August Wilson Cultural Center sometime in the near future.
PHOTO BY ALEXANDER JOHNSON
