"Ben" was a number-one hit recording by a teenaged Michael Jackson for the Motown label in 1972. The song, the theme of a 1972 film of the same name (the sequel to the 1971 killer rat movie Willard), spent one week at the top of the U.S. charts. It also reached number-one in Australia, spending eight weeks at the top spot. The song also later reached a peak of number seven in the United Kingdom. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... Ben was the second full-length solo album by teenage pop-soul music phenomenon Michael Jackson. ... See also: other events of 1972 list of years in music 1970s in music // January 17 - Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed Elvis Presley Blvd January 20 - Pink Floyd debuts Dark Side of the Moon during a performance at The Dome, in Brighton, but due to technical difficulties... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ... Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences — first performed by African American artists. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Motown Records, also known as Tamla-Motown outside of the United States, is a record label originally based out of Detroit, Michigan (Motor City), where it achieved widespread international success. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Don Black (b. ... Walter Scharf (1 August 1910 - 24 February 2003) was an American film composer. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... The Corporationâ„¢ was a collection of songwriters and record producers assembled in 1969 by Motown label head Berry Gordy to create hit records for the labels new act, The Jackson 5. ... Frederick Freddie Perren (1943 - December 16, 2004) was an African American songwriter and record producer. ... Alphonzo Fonce Mizell is an African American musician, songwriter, and record producer. ... Deke Richards, also known as Dennis Lussier, is a songwriter and record producer. ... Berry Gordy, Jr. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... Aint No Sunshine is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just As I Am. ... Image File history File links Michael_Jackson_Ben. ... Young Men Organization Teenager and Teen also redirect here. ... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... Motown Records, also known as Tamla-Motown outside of the United States, is a record label originally based out of Detroit, Michigan (Motor City), where it achieved widespread international success. ... See also: other events of 1972 list of years in music 1970s in music // January 17 - Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed Elvis Presley Blvd January 20 - Pink Floyd debuts Dark Side of the Moon during a performance at The Dome, in Brighton, but due to technical difficulties... A 1972 feature film about a young boy (played by Lee H. Montgomery) and his pet rat, Ben. ... See also: 1970 in film 1971 1972 in film 1970s in film years in film film // Events February 8 - Bob Dylans hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New Yorks Academy of Music. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Willard is a 1971 horror film starring Bruce Davison and Ernest Borgnine, directed by Daniel Mann. ...

The song became the first of thirteen number-one pop hits for Jackson in the United States and his first number-one as a solo artist. For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ...

Later included on Jackson's album of the same name, "Ben" won a Golden Globe for Best Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Ben was the second full-length solo album by teenage pop-soul music phenomenon Michael Jackson. ... The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... For the main article see Golden Globe Awards. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are songwriters and composers. ...

In 1985, Marti Webb released a cover version of the song, which reached #5 in the UK charts, as a tribute to the late Ben Hardwick, a young liver transplant patient. Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Marti Webb in Andrew Lloyd Webbers Song and Dance (1982) Marti Webb (born 13 December 1944, in London) is a musical actress from England, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webbers one woman show Tell Me On A Sunday in the mid 1980s. ... Cover of the book based on Bens life Benjamin Hardwick (6 December 1981 - 23 March 1985) was Britains youngest liver transplant patient. ...

The song was also covered by Crispin Glover to coincide with the remake of Ben's prequel, Willard. The song is featured in a bizarre music video featuring Glover and R. Lee Ermey. Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American primarily known as a film actor, but is also a painter, filmmaker, author, musician, and collector and archivist of esoterica. ... Movie poster for Willard Willard is a 2003 movie directed by Glen Morgan. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Ronald Lee Ermey (born March 24, 1944) is a former U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor and later Golden Globe-nominated actor, often playing the roles of authority figures, such as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning and Sheriff Hoyt...

Trivia

• Though Jackson had already become the youngest artist to record a number-one ("I Want You Back" with his brothers, The Jackson 5, in 1970), "Ben" made him the third-youngest solo artist, at fourteen, to score a number-one hit single. Only Stevie Wonder, who was thirteen when "Fingertips, Pt. 2" went to number one, and Donny Osmond, who was months shy of his fourteenth birthday when "Go Away Little Girl" hit number one in 1971 were younger.
• Jackson performed "Ben" in front of a live audience at the Academy Awards ceremony, where it was up for the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1973.
• The song was once performed at a ballet competition, where performers danced to nothing but songs from Motown.
• A short version of the song was featured in the Simpsons episode "Stark Raving Dad" in 1991, where Jackson guest-starred as a fat mental patient. However, due to contractual obligations with his record company, Jackson was not allowed to sing in the episode, so an impersonator was hired to do his singing parts, which included short versions of "Billie Jean" and "Ben". Jackson is credited in the episode under the pseudonym of John Jay Smith.
• The band Pearl Jam makes a reference to the song "Ben" on their 1973 album Vs. on the song "Rats", with the line "Ben, the two of us need look no more" repeated several times at the end the track.
• It has also been covered by the Irish group Boyzone on their album A Different Beat.
• The song was featured in the TV movie Wedding Wars, sung by John Stamos's character at the wedding of his brother, Ben, and backed by a gay men's chorus.

I Want You Back is a 1969 #1 hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. ... The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as J5, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music quintet from Gary, Indiana. ... See also: other events of 1970 list of years in music 1970s in music // Charles Wuorinen, aged 32, becomes the youngest composer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. ... Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. ... Donald Clark Donny Osmond (December 9, 1957) is an American entertainer. ... Go Away, Little Girl is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. ... See also: 1970 in music, other events of 1971, 1972 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // February 8 - Bob Dylans hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New Yorks Academy of Music. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Academy Award for Best Song is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are songwriters and composers. ... See also: 1970s in music. ... Motown Records, also known as Tamla-Motown outside of the United States, is a record label originally based out of Detroit, Michigan (Motor City), where it achieved widespread international success. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Stark Raving Dad is the first episode of The Simpsons third season. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1991. ... A pseudonym (Greek pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons true name. ... Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 1990s in music. ... Vs. ... Boyzone were an Irish boy band (pop group) of the 1990s. ... A Different Beat is a 1999 album by Gary Moore. ...

External links

• Lyrics to "Ben"

Mac Davis (born Scott Davis, January 21, 1942, in Lubbock, Texas) is a country music singer and songwriter, who has enjoyed much pop music crossover success. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... This is a list of number-one hits in the United States by year from the Billboard Hot 100. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // My Ding-a-Ling was a 1972 novelty hit record for Chuck Berry, and his only U.S. number-one single on the pop charts. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926 in St. ...