Erik Grant Bennett, an Emmy-nominated composer, recording artist, and producer, makes his living doing what he loves. An accomplished singer/songwriter and instrumentalist, Erik’s reputation among his peers is strong indeed, but he is always ready for the next chapter, which in this case means an entirely new genre of music.
Son of a classical pianist father and a mother who was one of six singing sisters, Erik heard music of all kinds and sang “a cappella” in church as a child. As a teenager, he was known as one of the best choral singers in Georgia. Despite his classical training and background, Erik, moved by the work of artists like Billy Joel, wanted to make a career of singing and writing in more commercial styles. He prodigiously began writing solid original material in high school, which at seventeen landed him a scholarship to the world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he would earn a degree, with honors, in Film Scoring.
Erik’s career has seen him working around the country before happily settling in hometown Atlanta. Having written jingles for several companies and done scores for film and television, he launched an independent label called HoneyBee Records, where many artists have recorded projects in various genres. He wrote and produced a song for the feature film “Light Years Away,” created music and lyrics for seven musicals and is the sole songwriter for the national children’s company, Brainy Baby. Despite his career accolades in front of and behind the spotlight, his greatest joy (besides being a dad) has been passing his knowledge and passion on to promising young students at his own HoneyBee Records’ Center for Music Education. Erik can only guess what the future may hold, but as long as it involves making music, his life’s dream will be fulfilled.
About the co-lyricist:
Dan Colwell is a retired school superintendent from Fayetteville, Georgia, just south of Atlanta. He has been a lifelong fan of both country and gospel music, and he often found himself writing down ideas and lyrics for inspirational songs. After Dan had written lyrics for several songs, he asked Erik, his wife’s son, to adapt his words into complete songs and record them. Erik was intrigued by the concepts, and their collaboration has spawned inspirational songs that will stir spiritual emotions, create nostalgia, and stay in your mind and heart forever.
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