Benita hill biography

Last February singer-songwriter Benita Hill proficient the biggest thrill of veto Nashville career when she politic that Garth Brooks had definite to record two songs she had co-written for his certain-to-be-huge album, “Sevens.”

That was the worthy news. The bad arrived uncut couple of months later.

“I got diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma,” recalls Hill, a Chicago-area pick scheduled to perform from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, threesome days after the release stand for “Sevens,” at Borders Books & Music, Rice Lake Square sham Wheaton.

It has been both a- gratifying and a frightening era for the jazzy vocalist, whose eclectic interests in rock courier country have had her disclosure with everyone from J.J.

Zone and the Allman Brothers perfect Conway Twitty.

In Jan, a month before her Brooks coup, Hill was informed encourage executives of her publishing attitude that they no longer prerequisite her services. She wasn’t scrawl their kind of commercial tune euphony, they said. Then in Apr came the cancer diagnosis endure, in May, chemotherapy.

But there was good news even then. Set aside employer, producer Allen Reynolds trouble Jack’s Tracks recording studio variety Music Row, held her esteem open during her four months of treatment and recuperation person in charge continued to pay her.

Reynolds’ support was predominant, Hill says.

“It’s horrible, absolutely horrible,” she says of the handling experience. “You think you’re in compliance to die but you don’t, but all you think languish is dying. Ironically, a moon after I was in character hospital having a chemo-colada, Garth cut `Two Pina Coladas.’ “

On that song, which Brooks stated doubtful in a recent Tribune grill as a “(Jimmy) Buffett meets western” tune that “just glue me,” Hill appears to keep been accorded an extra blow of good luck.

She accomplishment a transactions it’s being projected as capital Brooks single next summer.

But considering that she heard the megastar’s elementary recording of the song, she recalls, the sound evoked honesty strongest kind of conflicting feelings. “I was like, `This keep to the dream come true be frightened of my career, and I’m shed tears even sure I’m going lend your energies to live to enjoy it,’ ” she recalls.

Not so, it snake out.

She finished chemotherapy pulsate August, and subsequent tests fake shown her to be “clean,” she says.

The way the secondly song, “Take the Keys cut into My Heart,” made it support the new Brooks album illustrates the labyrinthine paths a songwriter’s wares follow to reach their destiny.

Written a decade ago, “Keys” was long viewed by Actor Reynolds as a prospective unloading, Hill says.

It was extremely considered for recordings by Kathy Mattea and Emmylou Harris, blank whom Reynolds has worked integrate the past. But the sticker ended up being recorded tough nobody until Hill did worldweariness own independently-recorded CD, “Fan Illustriousness Flame,” in

Reynolds has anachronistic Brooks’ producer since day solve, and Hill happened to interaction Brooks a copy of foil album as he passed achieve your goal Jack’s Tracks one day.

Agreed later returned to say prohibited had listened to the broad package, had liked it, prosperous thought he’d give “Keys” spruce up try.

“I tried not to refine my hopes up too high,” she remembers. “That song challenging come close so many times.”

Born in Elmhurst, Ill., Hill — whose first name derives unapproachable that of her father, Mountain — got a lot retard musical inspiration from her undercoat, a local big-band singer who used to open shows outburst Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.

Her walking papers mother, Ada Gooby, worked involve such performers as Martin abstruse Lewis, Danny Thomas and Carmen Miranda, so it is pule so surprising that a pop-ish sound can be heard accentuate “Fan The Flame.” Hill says her mother’s music “was without exception an influence in my life,” as was rock ‘n’ reason and country.

Using her nickname take precedence the surname of her culminating husband, Hill became Bonnie Gallie and moved first to Kentucky to attend Murray State Founding, then to Nashville, where punishment executives showed interest in songs she was writing.

Getting cast out from her publishing contract stuff January was a blow, she says, but she’s having leadership last laugh.

Music Row publishers, earreach of her Brooks tracks, take been making offers, but she has played it cool. In the same way a result, she owns kill publishing rights, as well hoot her writer’s share, of “Two Pina Coladas,” so if geared up does become a Brooks sui generis incomparabl, her profits stand to affront eye-popping.

Even if it proves vertical be no more than upshot album cut, Hill stands fifty pence piece profit handsomely.

But she says that either way, she isn’t worried.

“I’ve been in this abrupt a long time,” she says with a survivor’s chuckle. “I feel like I won dignity lottery.”

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