Benjamin Wright (composer)

The collaborations continue still. Wright worked with Mystery Skulls in 2014 contributing a number of songs to his debut album Forever (US Dance/Electronic Albums #3). In 2016, he worked with Mary J. Blige, Ty Dolla $ign, Frank Ocean, and a number of projects slated for future releases.

In 2004 he would receive a GRAMMY for Album of the Year as part of his contributions to OutKast’s most successful and record setting album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Similarly, he would receive the GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Justin Timberlake's solo debut smash, Justified. 2004 would also mark his first trip to conduct the Norwegian Radio Symphony at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert is Oslo, Norway. An honor, he would enjoy again in 2005, when he returned to conduct for Gladys Knight's performance.

Between 1982 and 1983, Wright opened the Ritesonian recording studio.

Similarly, he would arrange a number of records for DeBarge on their All This Love and In a Special Way albums. "All This Love" (1982) would reach #5 on the Billboard R&B chart, #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, helping its parent album of the same name reach gold status by the summer of 1983. "Love Me in a Special Way" would also connect with the R&B community reaching U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles #11. On that same album, Wright arranged what would become an iconic song—"A Dream." Although the track was not released as a single, the song has been popular over the years on the radio and has been sampled by several artists including 2Pac and Blackstreet.

Mr. Wright and Quincy Jones would soon collaborate again in 1981. "One Hundred Ways" performed by James Ingram, written by Wright, Tony Coleman, and Kathy Wakefield would win the GRAMMY Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance. The song would resurrect the album, rising up the charts to #10 Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B Albums.

He would then have continued chart success in 1980 producing for Tavares’ Supercharged (US R&B Chart #20) and Love Uprising with the songs "Love Uprising" (US R&B #17) and the socio-politically charged "Bad Times" (US R&B #10). He also arranged the horns and strings for Aretha Franklin's 1980 hit "United Together" reaching #3 on the US R&B Charts, subsequently joining Aretha on the road as her music director.

Then, in 1979 Wright would get one of the most memorable phone calls of his lifetime—Quincy Jones requested that Wright work on Michaels Jackson's breakout solo album Off the Wall. Mr. Wright would go on to arrange the strings for "Rock With You" (US Billboard Hot 100 #1), "Get On The Floor (Dance With Me)," and the GRAMMY Award-winning song "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (US Billboard Hot 100 #1).

Wright, would also begin work with Stax Records gospel crossover artist, Rance Allen in 1978, arranging and orchestrating his Top 30 R&B hit, "I Belong to You." Achieving mainstream chart success was a rare occurrence for a gospel act—unseen before Rance Allen's band. The two would continue to collaborate for a number of years, following the song's success.

With the band disbanding and the industry shifting from Chicago to LA, Wright was ready for a new challenge and moved to LA to expand into producing music. Once moving to LA in 1975, he started working as the music director and producer for The Temptations—being instrumental in their move from Motown Records to Atlantic Records. He wrote a number of songs on their 1976 album The Temptations Do The Temptations. On this album the group enjoyed the greatest creative control of their career. He would also co-write on subsequent albums for the band for years to come.

After meeting up with the Pieces of Peace, he was brought on as a member of Chicago's premier soul and funk bands. Through the 1960s and early 1970s they scored the enviable gig of backing up Syl Johnson for his shows and on his incendiary 1970 LP "Is It Because I'm Black".

Benjamin Wright, Jr. (born July 11, 1946) is an American producer and composer.

Music director and arranger Benjamin F. Wright, Jr. was born on July 11, 1946, in Greenville, Mississippi. Wright started his music career while in high school, performing as a drum major in the marching band, and singing doo-wop in a group he and his friends started. After high school, Wright embarked on his first major musical tour with big Rhythm and Blues icon, Ted Taylor. During the tour, Wright played piano and sang backup for the band. The Ted Taylor tour allowed Wright to experience music arrangement for the first time. His subsequent success within the industry took him on the road with icons like James Brown, Otis Redding, Billy Stewart and Gladys Knight & the Pips.