Here's where I will typically put critical announcements regarding Bob Bennett. Now that Bob is strongly involved in the content of his own supervised website, content here will change infrequently and will only contain very big, critical announcements.
For some weeks now, Bob unveiled the new bobbennett.com. Note that the URL no longer requires a dash. The new website is regularly updated with news and concert information.
Content on the old fashioned "Bob Bennett Web Page" run by Jay Rinkel will only get updated when huge critical items must be announced. Thanks all for your patrionage through the many years.
A new album is out called Songs for Israel. It is an album of songs from Bob Bennett, Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill, and Buck Storm. Currently, the best source of information on this album is at www.randystonehill.com.
I was communicating with Bob the other day and he mentioned that he is working with a friend on a new album project. I don't remember his colleague's name (I will post if I can get that information), but Bob was excited about it. Seems like he mentioned that the new album would likely be released this coming year, 2007.
There are some Bob Bennett videos that have been posted on
YouTube. It is a home made video of a Calvary Chapel event back in
2004. Here are the links to the videos:
Video 1 -
My Redeemer Lives
Video 2 -
Man Of The Tombs
Video 3 -
A Moveable Feast
Bob has opened up a MySpace page that tends to be more focused on his personal life (besides his music) than the other Bob Bennett websites. Feel free to visit BobSpace and take a look
A few weeks ago, Bob cut his left calf while doing some house work. The cut turned into a bacterial infection which kept him in the hospital for five days. Bob is back home now and is recovering fine. Pray that he continues to maintain good health so he can bless others with his music and ministry.
Bob's new album The View From Here is planned to be released on June 4, 2002. Be sure to go buy a copy (and several more for all your friends).
Bob has opened up the most official Bob Bennett Web Site which will keep the most pertinant and most up-to-date information. The web site is under the supervision of Bob Bennett himself so hopefully information and the concert calendar will be updated frequently.
Check it out!! It is called The Absolutely (Sort Of) Official Bob Bennett Web Page.
Plans are in the works for a new album to be released at some point in the future (maybe this year). The album will be called THE VIEW FROM HERE. The list of songs planned on the album are:
Bob is working on re-releasing on some of his older albums. He is hoping to release Matters Of The Heart sometime during this year 2002 for a 20th anniversary re-release. Other possible re-releases include Non-Fiction and First Things First.
Bob is back in the studio. That's right!! Another great album is in the works. Bob will be in Canada recording in Steve Bell's studio from Jan 25th to Feb 8th.
Many times in the past I have had people email me asking about a song that Bob sang called "Beautiful Scandalous Night". This song was on a special compilation album called At The Foot Of The Cross, Vol 1. Family Christian Stores have negotiated with the record label who owns this album to make a reprint for their store. The album is being sold in Family Christian Stores around the US for the Easter season. This is a limited printing and I don't know how long they will be available. So, if you've been wanting a copy of this one you should check it out.
Bob Bennett is scheduled to perform a benefit concert on April 15, 2000. There are ten high school students who are taking a missions trip to Guatemala. Bob Bennett will perform a concert at Bethany Bible Fellowship to help raise the support they need to go. If you are interested in coming please contact Kevin White so he can get a good idea of how many people are coming. The number to call is 714-891-9582 or you can email fellowshipconcerts@juno.com.
Mike Burke has started a Bob Bennett Email List. It is the kind of thing where people can send email to one address and the system sends out the message to all subscribers of the list. It will be a great place for people to discuss Bob Bennett music and related issues. Please check it out. There is already a web link set up to give you all the details about how to join!! Please check it out at www.onelist.com/community/BobBennett
Annie Angelsong has put together another Bob Bennett Web Site. She is a relatively new fan of Bob's and she was so impressed with Bob she put a web site up. Go ahead and check it out.
Billy Crockett's new album Watermarks features Bob Bennett doing background vocals on some of the tracks. The album tends to be quite acoustic. For those of you who like Bob Bennett and acoustic guitar, you may like this album as well. In my opinion, Bob's voice blends in very well and adds to the album.
I have just received a report from the person who sponsored a Bob Bennett concert in Bloomington, MN at St. Michael's Lutheran church on June 28th, 1998. Normally, Bob is accustomed to playing for groups of about 100-150. Well, that evening there was about 500 people and an enthusiastic crowd it was. All copies of Songs From Bright Avenue (cassette and CD) that Bob had with him were sold that night.
Small Graces By Bob Bennett
Label: Covenant Artists
Manufactured and Distributed by Myrrh Records (a Div. of WORD
Entertainment)
Catalogue Numbers:
CD -- 7014606603
Cass -- 7014606565
Release Date: 11/18/97 (already out!)
True to our last word Small Graces is out as planned. The album is now in stores. SO, it is now time to get copies. If your store isn't carrying any of copies of Bob Bennett's new album -- encourage them to get some copies for the store and order some for yourself. The catalogue numbers are listed above if you need them -- but most stores only need the artist and title to find what you need.
The cut song "Small Graces" is now being played on "Inspirational" radio stations across the country. Bob told me that this song is currently at #6 on the Inspirational charts!
On Thanksgiving Day (November 27), Bob will be featured for one hour on the Jim Warren Show which airs across the country on the Moody Broadcasting network. The show was taped about three weeks ago when Bob was in the Chicago area. There are interview segments as well as several songs from Small Graces
There have been recent interviews done for New Man magazine as well as Release Magazine. Not sure of the dates as of yet
An article on Bob can be found on the Jamsline Christian Music site.
Bob Bennett reports for us:
After the first of the year, the "solo acoustic" project will be "on the front burner" for development. So far, the plan is do a "live" concert in a large studio with an invited audience ... the best of both worlds. (Wouldn't it be fun to have some sort of Web Page contest to win an invitation?) May have other musicians involved on a few songs (especially if I write two or three new ones to include). Newer material that is likely to appear: a version of "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name" (which I routinely perform in concert), a cover of the late Mark Heard's "Heart Of Hearts" (also done a few years ago by Leslie-now-Sam Phillips), a re-written version of "Still Rolls The Stone" (I have always felt that I could do a better job with that song ... especially the chorus ... so, I'm going to exercise my prerogative as an artist and "reinvent" the song somehow!).
Bob reports for us:
I have always wanted to expand my work into the "folk music" market and I may get an opportunity to do so in the Spring with a showcase called "Internet Quartets". There is some talk about me being involved for a week or so with some of those dates. Basically, a fellow who moderates a mailing list on folk music (his name is Alan Rowoth) is a friend and fan and wants to see me extend my reach into that market as well. The showcase would be me and three other writers doing what is called "in-the-round": this means all on-stage at once and trading songs back and forth ... a _very_ cool opportunity if it comes to pass.
Bob reports for us:
I have recently been in Dallas and did some background vocals with Kelly Willard on Billy Crockett's forthcoming release *Watermarks*. (I also sang on *Any Starlight Night* a few years back.) Billy is nothing short of astonishing on every level and I am _so_ proud to be on this release. Will be back to Dallas in early December to continue. Check out Billy's web site and tell him Bob Bennett sent you!!
Bob's new album Small Graces has now been set to a more solid release date of Nov 18, 1997! It is coming out folks! As a matter of fact, the album is already listed on some distributors catalogs as "yet-to-come-out." So be looking for it in mid November. Word is planning on releasing the songs "Small Graces" and "Hand Of Kindness" on to Christian radio. It's possible that this line-up may change but this is the last thing I heard on the radio releases. I do not know when the singles will make it to the stations. With a little hope, it will be shortly before the albums show up in stores but I do not know for sure.
Bob mentioned that he was working on the insert (lyrics, etc.) for the CD insert on the new album. It appears that things are pretty busy for him right now with getting the album together and also doing concerts. Pray for him!!
Well for all of you who have emailed Bob or me asking about the release of Bob's album Small Graces, I have some excellent news for you! It looks like it's coming out in October. Bob has also asked for help from any of us who may be able.
Bob has written the following announcement for us:
I'm happy to report that there is now a release date in sight for *Small Graces*.
The album (I still call them that because I'm an old guy now!) will be out October 21, 1997. The label will be Michael Card's Covenant Artists and the distribution will be with Myrrh.
Having said that, please keep in mind that for all the "ministry" talk that accompanies these kinds of things (implying unequivocal divine guidance), we're still talking about the music business here: unpredictable, ever-changing and apt to lay waste to the best laid plans at a moment's notice. (And I apologize if that sounds a little cynical, but after twenty years, I know what I'm talking about in this narrow instance. I'm hopeful, but it's an eyes-wide-open kind of hope.)
The album is essentially the same ten songs that were "finished" in February '96 (with the exception of a re-mix and an instrumental overdub last November), so any song list you see elsewhere is probably accurate as far as song titles, if not in final order.
For those who read this notice and are so inclined, I'd appreciate your prayers:
... for my manager Mitch White. Up to this point, I have not given him very much of a career to manage. He has worked very hard for me with no money in sight. He has a wife and children (a new baby this week) and I would love to be able to actually make enough money to commission the man.
... for my booking agent Christine Whitaker of IMPACT Artists. She, too, has been laboring long and hard to find me work.
... for wisdom for this team (myself, Mitch and Christine in consultation with Myrrh distribution) to develop and carry out an effective strategy to get me out there with a greater consistency in support of the release.
... for increased concert work. My bread-and-butter is concerts: the honorariums and product sales that those jobs generate. At present, this is my only income. And I unashamedly ask that you consider passing Christine's number (310.530.4550) along to any church, college or coffeehouse that might be a possibility. Another option is to check my itinerary and consider hosting a "home" concert in your area. This would be a low-key event (often a day or two before a larger concert appearance) that would be in a home. It is customary, at least in the folk music market, for there to be a ticket price which goes to the artist, but if we can get 40-50 people in a larger home it can work At this point, I'm simply not too proud to ask for a little help from the folks who visit these pages. If you have any ideas about concert possibilities, please call Christine or pass along her number. I'd rather sacrifice a little "image" and take care of myself and my family than pretend to be a big-shot.
... for an opening slot on a tour of some sort. Amy Grant, Michael Card, Bruce Carroll ... hey, it just doesn't matter. I'll grab onto anybody's coattails to keep my job and get the music out there. The question is who's next. At the top of my wish-list as to who I would love tour with: Phil Keaggy!
Bob Bennett
June 26, 1997
Bob Bennett is considering on going back into the studio and recording another album. This album, however, will be a simple vocal and guitar album. No fancy drums, synthesizers, etc. If Bob records and reproduces the album, the plan is that the album will not be available in stores. Rather, the album can be purchased at concerts, directly through Bob and maybe even on WWW.
The idea is to make an album that has much the style of performance that you would here at a Bob Bennett concert but with the great quality of a studio recording.
I constantly get requests for older Bob Bennett albums. Many of you want to get a hold of his early stuff and hear it. If this album happens, those of you looking for those great hard-to-find songs will be able to get new remakes of those songs!
Bob wants to get a little internet feedback on this. Would you encourage Bob to work on such an album? Would you be interested in getting one if such a thing were made available? Go to the Guest Book and tell us about what you think.
Well I have been informed by Bob that his album Small Graces will be delayed on it's release. There is no information available as to when it will be available. He said that if anyone wanted to pray for him -- he would appreciate it. So, for those felt led -- please pray for him.
Bob has for several years, lived on a street called "Bright Avenue" in Whittier California. This is where Bob got the name for his album Songs From Bright Avenue and the name of his business Bright Avenue Songs. Recently, Bob has moved from his Bright Avenue address to take up residence in a nearby city.
Bob has written this short paragraph for us:
On the Monday before Thanksgiving, I recieved a letter which resulted in my 15-year-old son Paul coming to live with me full-time. He's currently in his sophomore year at John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma, CA (Orange County), so it seemed obvious that keeping him in the same school would go a long way toward helping the change go more smoothly. I moved three days before Christmas. I can say categorically: don't EVER attempt this, it's insane! I knew the day would come when I would leave Bright Avenue ... I am more happy than I can say to have Paul with me. For those who might like to pray for us, I'd appreciate it very much.Pray for Bob as he seems to have a very busy schedule and still trying to catch up from the move. Be sure to look at the new contact information.
That's right. Now there are TWO web sites dedicated to Bob Bennett. The new one is called Bright Avenue. It is named after Bob's album Songs From Bright Avenue. It has pictures, interviews, and there is more to come over there. This page was built by Tom Loredo who has built many web pages for music artists. I think you'll find it to be a very good site.
When I, Jay Rinkel, put together this web page, I was aware that Tom was going to put one up. But at the time it was uncertain when he would get his page up and going. So, at that time I decided to put a simple web page up for Bob so that Bob would at least have some kind of WWW presence. Now, at long last, Tom's page is up. So, please check it out. As for those many of you who have visted by this site, it is greatly appreciated. I am not completely sure what the future holds for this site. Bob has mentioned in the past that he would like the sites to compliment each other somehow. We'll see what happens!
Keep monitoring this web page. I will do my best to keep you people informed of any more information about the new album and Bob's music ministry and career.