Les Butler and Friends:
Ben Rochester By Les Butler
The first time I met the Rochesters, they pulled into St. Cloud, Fla., to sing at my dad’s church. This would have been around 1985 or so. As a matter of fact, the feature artist this month wasn’t part of the family band when I first saw the Rochesters. The next time I saw them I remember thinking, “I loved them the first time I saw them but, boy, have they improved.” The person that put them on the top of their game was none other than our featured artist for this month, Ben Rochester. Ben’s first memory was going to church, something he’s done a lot of over the years. The instruments he picked up first were the harmonica and banjo. As a side note, of all the instruments he plays, those are the hardest to master. Ben, unlike most musicians, started out with the most difficult instruments first. And when the “instrument train” started going down the track, there was no stopping him. Today he plays, guitar, bass, dobro, banjo, mandolin, harmonica and fiddle. He’s also been know to pick and blow his nose pretty well (his words; not mine.)
He probably plays these instruments so well because he has learned from the masters. When asked about his mentors, Ben states, “Guitar: Ron Block, bass: Edgar Meyer, dobro: Jerry Douglas, banjo: Ron Block, mandolin: Adam Steffey, harmonica: the late, Terry McMillan, and fiddle: Stuart Duncan.” He did narrow his favorite instrument down for me a bit. Ben says, “I usually say the dobro is my favorite, but if all I could have on a desert island was one instrument, I’d have to say guitar, because it’s more versatile.” And his choice between playing live or in the studio? Ben tells us, “Although I really enjoy playing in the studio, I would have to say I enjoy playing live the most.” His favorite singer? Ricky Skaggs. Other favorites? Ben notes, “My favorite song to play is “Freight Train.” I don’t know why. I just like playing it. My favorite song to sing is, “My Father’s Eyes,”
