Ben Vaughn

• Genre: Roots
• Hometown: Philadelphia
• Ben Vaughn Website

About

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ben Vaughn came to prominence in the mid-1980s when critical favorites Marshall Crenshaw and the Morells covered his material. When Vaughn released his own material, he revealed himself to be a clever songwriter with an encyclopedic knowledge of the roots of pop and rock. Critics fell over themselves to lavish superlatives on Vaughn, the quintessential record-collecting, cool trash-obsessed, AM radio-loving geek. He developed a cult following with a series of well regarded records and relentless touring. Vaughn is a limited singer, but a wildly inventive guitar player who easily conjures the spirit of Link Wray, Duane Eddy, Slim Harpo or any number of Nuggets-era string stranglers. He has produced records for the late Charlie Feathers and the late Arthur Alexander, as well as Ween. Vaughn's main gig now is writing music for television. He does the music for 3rd Rock from the Sun and That '70s Show.

- Tom Heyman