“He knocked on the door of his girlfriend’s ex. The guy said, ‘No, man, not my guitar!’ ‘Yep, you’ve got to give it up’”: George Benson on how he got the Gibson that shaped his 1976 chart-topping record, Breezin’

American Jazz musician George Benson plays guitar as he performs onstage at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 13, 1976.

After releasing more than 40 albums across a genre-hopping career that never shied away from six-string experimentation, George Benson is now launching a new chapter with Breezin' With The Stars – a four-day workshop-meets-interactive music event. He also recently announced the sale of some of his most iconic guitars.

Linking the two? His iconic Gibson Johnny Smith, which played a crucial role in the making of his career-defining record Breezin’, which topped the jazz, R&B, and pop charts simultaneously in 1976 – no easy or common feat.