Ben Tankard

Keyboardist Ben Tankard, frequently labeled “the Quincy Jones of Gospel,” has earned recognition as one of Christian music’s top-selling instrumentalists by producing numerous standout gospel recordings and serving as executive vice president at Tribute Records, the label for which he has cut the majority of his own projects. Florida-born to a minister father and a missionary mother, he first sat behind the drums in church at age three, later switched to tuba, and received multiple college music scholarships before electing instead to accept an athletic offer.

A serious knee injury ended his hopes of an NBA career despite having been drafted, plunging him into depression and homelessness. Attendance at a revival meeting abruptly reversed his fortunes, and within a remarkably short time he had developed into a highly skilled keyboard and organ performer. He launched his recording witness in 1990 with the Tribute release Keynote Speaker. Subsequent sessions led him into arranging and production, where his early training enabled polished contributions for Yolanda Adams, the Alabama State Mass Choir, and Michael Bruce.

Much of Tankard’s solo catalog consists of light-jazz sets whose calm, introspective gospel instrumentals recall the mainstream approach of George Benson and Kenny G. Beyond his own discs, his production efforts have yielded numerous gold and platinum certifications through work with an array of Grammy-winning artists that includes Take 6, Fred Hammond, Kelly Price, John P. Kee, Shirley Murdock, Twinkie Clark, and Gerald Albright. In 2018 he delivered the full-length album Rise!.