George Benson Receives Honorary Doctor of Music from Duquesne President

A video of Gormley interviewing Benson at his home and presenting him with the Honorary Degree was shared with Mary Pappert School of Music’s 2024 graduates during their May 10 Commencement ceremony.

A longtime admirer of Benson and his music, Gormley spoke with Benson about his childhood, growing up near Duquesne University in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood. 

“The thing I can remember when I was young was looking up at the sky—they would always turn red every night because of the two great steel mills…not too far from us, and you heard (them) thumping all night long,” Benson recalled.

The two discussed a broken ukulele that Benson’s musician stepfather found, fixed and gifted to him when he was just seven years old. His stepfather would later make an electric guitar for Benson from a dresser top. 

When Gormley asked him about his jazz influences growing up, Benson mentioned the local but also nationally known artists who impacted him.

“Pittsburgh was the home of the great Billy Eckstine, Art Blakey, Mary Lou Williams, Ahmad Jamal and Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines, al these fabulous musicians,” said Benson, who is recognized as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. “And what made Pittsburgh so great…was the Pennsylvania Turnpike.” 

Described by Benson as a straight shot to New York city—“a place everybody was trying to get to”—the Pennsylvania Turnpike allowed performers from the Midwest, including Chicago, to “stop in Pittsburgh and jam with the greatest musicians in the world.” Benson also claimed his love for his hometown and the many great experiences he has had there.

“Pittsburgh continues to produce great musicians, and we’re proud at Duquesne University of our graduates of the Mary Pappert School of Music who we’re honoring at this ceremony,” Gormley said. “That’s the beautiful thing George—they’re going to go on to make contributions in their own careers as musicians, teachers, as professionals in music tech and production as tomorrow’s innovators.”

When asked to share his thoughts with Duquesne music graduates, Benson said “You play music for the greatest reason of all—because you love music…don’t be afraid…just be yourself.”

Upon receiving his Honorary Doctor of Music and hood, Benson exclaimed, “This is a tremendous and great honor. I feel that it will encourage me to go further.”

The video and degree presentation was met with applause and accolades from the graduates, families and guests at the Commencement Ceremony.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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