BENJAMIN DEHART - "THE CRACKER TENOR" 

		As a kid Benjamin Dehart played autoharp and sang Bluegrass favorites with his two younger brothers at local events and family gatherings. Today, this up-and-coming voice is getting to be one of the most sought-after in the Florida Folk Music scene. Born in Ocala but raised in the small farming community of Oxford, Florida, Benjamin grew up around horses and cattle. Although he later moved on to the big city, he never forgot his roots and uses them as inspiration for his music today. As a kid Benjamin Dehart played autoharp and sang Bluegrass favorites with his two younger brothers at local events and family gatherings. Today, this up-and-coming voice is getting to be one of the most sought-after in the Florida Folk Music scene.
Born in Ocala but raised in the small farming community of Oxford, Florida, Benjamin grew up around horses and cattle. Although he later moved on to the big city, he never forgot his roots and uses them as inspiration for his music today.
		"I developed my love of cowboy songs and the cowboy way of life as a teenager while working for local cattlemen and farmers," he said. Later, I began to participate in historical reenactments, and it was my love of history that focused my musical direction." It was at a frontier rendezvous encampment not too long ago that folks started taking notice of the burly, red-haired tenor who, by this time,had put aside the autoharp in favor of the acoustic guitar. "People started asking me if I had a CD of my music, and I didn't," he said. "But it was touching to have this outpouring from folks who wanted to take my music home with them." So he made up his mind then and there that he would record a CD and have it ready for the following year's reenacting season. His first CD, "Warrior Bard," was released in 2002. "It's a mixture of old Irish and Scottish traditional tunes, a couple of original songs, as well as two arias from very famous operas," Benjamin said. Yes, Opera. Benjamin lent his vocal talents to a production of The Pirates of Penzance, but also learned the aria "Your Frozen Little Hand" from LaBoheme." Opera is not something you would expect from this frontiersman," he said.