Ben (song)
Ben is a pop song by Michael Jackson in 1972, that of Don Black and Walter Scharf was written. It was Jackson's first solo number one hit of 14 in the US and was released on the album of the same name .
The song stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a week and ranked # 1 in Australia for eight weeks . In the UK Top 40 the song reached number 7.
The song was used in the movie Ben , which is based on Willard . At the Golden Globe Awards , Ben won the Best Movie Song category and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song . Jackson sang the song live at the awards ceremony.
Song information
Actually, Ben was written for Donny Osmond . However, he was on tour and so there were no recording options, which led to Michael Jackson being offered the song. The single became a hit and came in at number 1 in the US and Australia. Jackson was the youngest artist with a number 1 hit with the Jackson 5 with I Want You Back in 1970 and became the third youngest solo artist with a number with Ben -1 hit. Only Stevie Wonder (then 13) and Donny Osmond (then 14) were a little younger. The song was released on many Michael Jackson CDs and DVDs. After Jackson's death, when Ben returned to the charts, singer Akon released a remix with his and Jackson's voice. In 1985 Marti Webb covered the song, it rose higher in the British charts than the original (number 5). Various other artists covered the song.
Cover versions
- 1973: Monty Alexander
- 1973: Sonny Stitt
- 1985: Marti Webb
- 1974: Toots Thielemans
- 1996: Boyzone
- 2007: Connie Talbot
- 2009: Akon
- 2012: Glee
Charts
| Charts (1972) | Highest position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 7th |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Charts (2009) | Highest position |
| UK Singles Chart | 46 |