A guitar player since his teenage years, he hung out at the Blues Box, a music club and cultural center in Baton Rouge run by guitarist Tabby Thomas. Playing guitar alongside Thomas, Raful Neal, Henry Gray and other high-profile regulars at the club, Benoit learned the blues first-hand from a faculty of living blues legends. He formed a trio in 1987 and began playing clubs in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. He began touring other parts of the south two years later and started touring more of the United States in 1991- and he continues to this day.
Benoit landed a recording contract with the Texas-based Justice Records and released a series of well-received recordings, beginning in 1992 with Nice and Warm, an album that prompted comparisons to blues guitar heavyweights like Albert King, Albert Collins and even Jimi Hendrix. Despite the hype, Benoit has done his best over the years to maintain a commitment to his Cajun roots— a goal that often eluded him when past producers and promoters tried to turn him and his recordings in a rock direction, often against his better instincts. These Blues Are All Mine, released on Vanguard in 1999 after Justice folded, marked a return to the rootsy sound that he’d been steered away from for several years.
That same year, he appeared on Homesick for the Road, a collaborative album on the Telarc label with fellow guitarists Kenny Neal and Debbie Davies. Homesick not only served as a showcase for three relatively young but clearly rising stars, but also launched Benoit’s relationship with Telarc that came to fruition in 2002 with the release of Wetlands —arguably the most authentically Cajun installment in his entire ten-year discography.
On Wetlands, Benoit mixes original material like the autobiographical “When a Cajun Man Gets the Blues” and the driving “Fast and Free” with little-known classics like Li’l Bob & the Lollipops’ “I Got Loaded,” Professor Longhair’s “Her Mind Is Gone” and Otis Redding’s timeless “These Arms of Mine” (Tab’s vocal style has long been influenced by Redding).
Later in 2002, Benoit released Whiskey Store, a collaborative recording with fellow guitarist and Telarc labelmate Jimmy Thackery as well as harpist Charlie Musselwhite and Double Trouble—the two-man rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton that backed Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Benoit, in 2003, released Sea Saint Sessions, recorded at Big Easy Recording Studio (better known among musicians in the region as Sea Saint Studio) in New Orleans. In addition to Benoit and his regular crew—bassist Carl Dufrene and drummer Darryl White—Sea Saint Sessions includes numerous guest appearances by Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Cyril Neville, Brian Stoltz and George Porter.
That same year, Benoit and Thackery took their dueling guitar show on the road and recorded a March 2003 performance at the Unity Centre for Performing Arts in Unity, Maine. The result was Whiskey Store Live, a high-energy guitar fest released in February 2004.
Benoit's 2005 release is Fever for the Bayou,which also includes guest appearances by Cyril Neville (vocals and percussion) and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (vocals).
An interview with Tab Benoit:
http://www.thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/tab_benoit.html
In It To Win It
Tab Benoit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Incomprehensible]
Me friends with the snakes and 'gators
I knew them all by name
My daddy was a driller
He did his job with pride
My mama was raising horses
But that stuff didn't fit me
I had to be myself
'Cause you can't be somebody
Try to be somebody else
You gotta get in it to win it
Life is a game we play
Gotta get in it to win it
Before you waste away
Living out of suitcase
Traveling far and wide
Sure don't seem like a good life
Looking from the other side
Everybody's been digging
For what I learned out there
I'm bringing on home, mama
Sure, I still care
All of my game is my story
And I know how to play
And now I am somebody
And you can't take that away
You gotta get in it to win it
Let your light shine through
Gotta get in it to win it
Now the worlds been waiting on you
The song In It To Win It by Tab Benoit is a biographical piece that tells the story of his early years living in the southeast delta of the United States. Benoit describes himself as being 'friends with the snakes and gators,' and he knew them all by name. This refers to his deep connection with the land and animals where he grew up. Benoit's father was a driller, and his mother raised horses and taught him how to ride. However, Benoit knew from a young age that this life wasn't for him. He had to be himself because you can't be somebody else, and as he says in the chorus of the song, 'You gotta get in it to win it.'
Benoit's decision to pursue a career in music was not without struggles. He lived out of a suitcase, traveling far and wide, which he describes in the second verse of the song. Benoit acknowledges that from the outside, it may not seem like a good life, 'Looking from the other side.' However, he realized that he had to stick to his passions because, in the end, it was his story and his life, and he knew how to play the game. Now, he is 'somebody, and you can't take that away.' The song carries a message of resilience and hope, encouraging listeners to embrace their true selves and pursue their passions, even when the going gets tough.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in southeast delta
I was born in the southeastern part of the delta region
[Incomprehensible]
Unclear, inaudible lyrics
Me friends with the snakes and 'gators
I was friends with the snakes and alligators in the area
I knew them all by name
I knew each snake and alligator by its specific name
My daddy was a driller
My father worked as an oil driller
He did his job with pride
He took great pride in his work
My mama was raising horses
My mother raised horses
And taught me how to ride
And she taught me how to ride horses too
But that stuff didn't fit me
But that lifestyle didn't suit me
I had to be myself
I had to be true to who I was
'Cause you can't be somebody
Because you can't pretend to be someone you're not
Try to be somebody else
And try to live a life that's not your own
You gotta get in it to win it
You have to fully commit to something to achieve success
Life is a game we play
Life can be seen as a game that we participate in
Gotta get in it to win it
We have to be fully involved to achieve success in life
Before you waste away
Before it's too late and opportunities pass you by
Living out of suitcase
Living a nomadic lifestyle, constantly traveling
Traveling far and wide
Traveling long distances to explore new places
Sure don't seem like a good life
It may not seem like an attractive lifestyle to everyone
Looking from the other side
If you're not living that way, it may not seem appealing
Everybody's been digging
Everyone is searching for something
For what I learned out there
For the knowledge and experience I gained from my travels
I'm bringing on home, mama
I'm returning home, mother
Sure, I still care
And I still care about the things I learned on the road
All of my game is my story
Everything that makes up who I am is a part of my personal story
And I know how to play
And I know how to navigate my own life
And now I am somebody
And now, as my own person, I am somebody
And you can't take that away
And no one can take that away from me
Let your light shine through
Allow your true self to shine through
Now the worlds been waiting on you
The world is ready and waiting for you to make your mark
Contributed by Lillian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.