Ben Tankard Biography

American Gospel artist, popularly called “Godfather of Gospel Jazz,” is Ben Tankard. He’s a songwriter, author, producer, Jazz keyboardist and a former professional basketball player. Ben decided to play minor league pro basketball in Canada after spending one year in college and eventually dropped out. He accepted an invitation to an NBA camp but got injured and was let go. Ben became the world's bestselling gospel jazz artist after recovering from his basketball injury. He is also a reality TV star, a record label president, a suit designer (Big & Tall), a pastor and an aircraft owner. He travels to most of his concerts on his own fleet of airplanes as an instrument rated pilot and avid aviator. The Pilatus PC-12 is his favorite aircraft. The Cessna Skyrocket 337C/N2469S and Cessna Golden Eagle 421C/N421AS are some of the planes he flies with an FAA registration N number reserved for the Pilatus PC12: N192PC. Each year, he performs at over 100 concerts and special appearances including, gospel explosions and corporations and jazz festivals. Through his Urban Eagles outreach program, he shares the joy of flying with young children. Ben Tankard is the recipient of multiple Dove & Grammy nominations and twelve Stellar Awards. As a producer, artist and composer, Ben has taken part in the creation of 6 Platinum albums and 15 gold albums. He discovered Yolanda Adams as a producer thereby making her famous. He has collaborated with platinum winning artists like Take-6, Fred Hammond and Kelly Price. In his 20 year musical career, he collaborated on over 300 recordings and recorded 18 top instrumental solo albums. He’s arguably the best selling gospel/jazz musician of all time. Ben Tankard/Full Tank album was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Performance at the Stellar Awards and also for Best Contemporary Jazz Artist in September of 2012 by the Soul Train Music Awards. The Atlanta Gospel-fest awarded Tankard with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Musical Excellence as an artist, producer and songwriter. In 2012, Tankard released the highly anticipated Ben Tankard/Full Tank album which was his 18th studio album on his record label Ben-Jamin’ Music & Films and it was distributed through Universal Studios/Universal Music Group; featuring music from legendary producer-songwriters, Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam with special guest appearances by Gerald Albright, Mark Kibble / Take 6 and many other artists. Ben began his teaching ministry with an anointing by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar Jr. and a prophetic word. For the National Basketball Association (NBA), Ben is a motivational speaker. He’s an author of four books including “Faith It Til You Make It,” a bestselling book and he’s written for Thomas Nelson, an International bible bookseller. Ben and his wife, Jewel are Pastors at one of the fastest growing churches with two locations in Nashville, TN & Murfreesboro, TN known as The Destiny Center. Ben and Jewel are equally recognized worldwide through radio and TV broadcast, record and book distributions, and have made over 150 annual personal appearances. In an announcement by Bravo cable network, Ben Tankard and family had been cast for Thicker Than Water: The Tankards on April 3, 2013. The reality show showcases Tankard's true passion, ministry as well as Tankard’s role as a motivational speaker with the National Basketball Association (NBA), music career, passion for aviation, family life and business ventures. The Tankards and their children live in Murfreesboro, TN.

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