10 Questions with ... Tony Benken

NAME:Tony Benken TITLE:VP Nat'l Promotion COMPANY:Robbins NashvilleB100 South Bend BORN:under a bad sign ASTRO:Pisces

Please outline your radio career so far:

WKJM/Power95...West Lafayette, IN
BNA Records, RCA Records, Virgin Records, Emergent Music & Marketing, Universal South, Broken Bow, Category 5, Nine North, Robbins Nashville.

1.) Welcome back to 10 Questions, it's been a while and with this interview, the AllAccess statisticians are saying, is your 4th time here- which makes you No.1, so congrats and also congrats on the job as VP/Promotion at Robbins- are you excited?

Wow. I'm honored. Slow news days? LOL!

Excited? I'm always excited by a new challenge! Cory Robbins sold me on this new concept of how to make money in a dynamic/changing environment without sacrificing the art of music- it's something that I've been saying for years quit your bitching and change the model and Cory is doing that!

2) Congrats on your marriage, and for marrying 'up' by the way to the lovely and talented Tiffany (Swinea) - did you drug her- seriously- was the wedding fun- you had it on a beach in the Caribbean right? You didn't do anything crazy like start crying during the ceremony I hope.

No crying on the ceremony...except when we ran out of rum- joking! We got married and honeymooned in the Caribbean- our favorite "get away". It was a beach wedding at Dusk and was perfect. Beautiful wife, beautiful location- who could ask for more! I did marry up, as anyone who knows Tiffany tells me!

3) With you and she both in the music business, do you talk about work a lot or are you able to shut it down- and there must be both positive and negative aspects of that dynamic.

We have very defined "lines" we don't cross, usually info that could be considered internal to the company we are working for, but we do bounce many ideas off of each other on other aspects. Some of my best ideas have come from her, and some of her worst ideas have come from me. Luckily, she's not truly in direct competition or we'd not speak at all!

4) Rockie Lynne is your debut artist- is there some other stuff happening that you can share with us- and since the answer is most likely no, how has the set up going. How's the music feel so far?

Rockie was somewhat of an unknown entity to me before I was interviewed. I knew his story from the USouth days but I checked with quite a few radio programmers and he is LOVED by a TON of them- so I went to see him live and was blown away! He's a megawatt star! The first single is a little bit of Rockie that hasn't been seen before and it's an awesome song. He wrote and produced it, by the way- which is even more incredible. It's called "I Can't Believe It's Me" and just screams hit to all of us at Robbins. Hopefully, radio will agree. I certainly think that they will. We'll be shipping the single soon (December), so radio will be hearing it shortly. Rockie will also be out on the road with paid dates and a radio tour to visit those that were missed at USouth and to revisit some of Rockie's supporters!

5) Phyllis Stark is head of A&R at your company and we all know her from her many years at Monitor- had you and Phyllis ever worked together previously?

We have not worked together before but I've known and known of Phyllis forever it seems! We're kindred souls. We think alike and get along extremely well.

6. You have worked at both major labels and smaller labels- what are the advantages of being at a small company.

There are many advantages- first and foremost, when we sign an act, we don't have to put them in the holding pattern for 2-3 years before they have a single release. Sometimes, what you like about an act has changed as they wait and wait and wait. Also, if I need an answer to any question, Cory is right there to answer it, no investors, no board, no hierarchy to wade through, so a lot of the "protecting territory" BS that goes on in a major is eliminated. Lastly, the underdog mentality is fun- knocking out a major on the charts that has outspent you, has 10x the employees, and big acts for leverage is especially gratifying. It's true promotion. There's no fallback and barter. It's the song and the talent and the promotion team.

7. And the disadvantages?

Actually, the disadvantage to a lot of people has been an advantage to me, the ability to wear multiple hats. I've been able to assist with publishers, publicity, artist development, finance, etc. I'm a much more rounded promotion man because of those "disadvantages".

8. How do you get radio to pay attention when you're at a label that will be working one artist initially?

It's really not that difficult. Radio cares that they put good music on the station- 48 minutes are still music (or more) and if you have good music and a staff with honesty, morality, and a genuine appreciation for the issues that are important to radio, you can get heard. What label an act or song is on doesn't matter nearly as much as it did when I started nearly 15 years ago.

9. You took a good long break in between things, did you enjoy that down time- and how has it changed your perspective?

Well- the timing ended up being extremely beneficial to me and my family. As some know, Tiffany's mother was in a very serious car accident and was in the hospital for months. I was able to spend time with her through her surgeries and take care of her when she did come home. As well, I got married in the middle of my "break" so that was cool in that I could concentrate 100% on the most important day of my life.

As far as perspective, the accident has profoundly changed me. Everything you bust your butt for, can be gone in an instant. I'm not nearly as tightly wound, and a lot more grateful for what I have and those that I call friends.

10. Aside from the music industry, what would your dream job be?

I would love to run a bar on the beach in the Caribbean. I would overcharge any programmer who didn't add my records and comp those that do! :)

1. What was the best wedding gift you received?

A Dyson vacuum. 1 of our dogs sheds pretty badly and that Dyson is a MONSTER!

2. What do you and Tiffany do on weekends, aside from forcing her to watch NASCAR?

Forcing her? Hell, she beats up on me and Jay Thomas in our NASCAR pool! We're big on travel and vegitation. We are either traveling, or sitting on the couch watching TiVO from the week before.

3. Favorite junk food?

Since Tiff has me training for the Austin 1/2 marathon, junk food is out, but I do sneak TCBY sometimes!

4. What CD can you not get enough of right now?

I am revisiting Martina's first album. Great songs on there like "Cheap Whiskey" and "The Time Has Come" also the new Linkin Park. Go figure, can't get too far apart musically, can ya?

5. What did you dress as for Halloween?

I dressed like a married man for the first time. Wore a ring and everything! :)