Burley Musician Gary Bench Dies at 45

Source: The Times-News, Twin Falls, IdahoOct.迷你倉 08--BURLEY -- Gary Robbins Bench loved singing, teaching and composing guitar music, finding humor in everyday life, promoting other people's talent -- and talking with everyone who crossed his path.Bench, 45, of Burley, passed away Sunday after having a stroke. He had been hospitalized for weeks."His goal in life was to entertain," said older brother Dorian Bench.Gary coordinated the talent at the Cassia County Fair free stage for the past 16 years."That was his baby," said Art Smith, Gary's singing partner.Dave Horton, of Farmer's Insurance, shared an office wall with Gary in downtown Burley."He would practice his singing every day, and I could hear him through the walls," said Horton. "He was an all-around nice guy."Another brother, Jay Bench, said he got Gary started on the guitar by teaching him some blues licks during a visit home from college."I didn't touch the guitar again after that semester," said Jay. "But he took it and ran with it and taught himself to play."Gary started working at his parents' business, Nuts & Things, after high school and managed it over the past several years. He also operated a business that organized talent for shows and provided sound systems for events. He coached and promoted new musicians and performed at hundreds of venues in southern Idaho.Gary was a gifted organizer, a talent that was highlighted through one of his promotion businesses, said sister Zena Rae Bench."He gave many young people their first shot on the stage," said Zena Rae said.Once when they were children, she said, Gary organized a job for the younger siblings thinning beets.His organizing complete, he slept in the car while they worked in the fields.Zena Rae said Gary contributed to many benefits for people in the community, and he loved his singing gigs at the senior centers.Gary was also an experimental gardener, trying his hand at raising cobs of popcorn, Indian corn and goji berry bushes, she said."I'm going to miss his humor," said brother Adrian Bench." "He had this perspective on things that nobody else has. One Thanksgiving about 10 years儲存ago, he wanted gravy so I gave him gravy -- on his green JELL? -- and he never let me forget it.""No one can tell jokes like Gary," said Merijane Bench, Gary's sister-in-law. "Everything was up for grabs to make up a funny story or write a song about. He saw the humor in everything around him, and that gift always brought joy and a giggle, or hard-core tears from laughing so hard, to everyone he came into contact with. The world needs more people like Gary."Bench self-released three CDs of his music. Many of his songs are funny, but some are serious."He never married, but he was a romantic and a lot of the songs he wrote in that vein," said Smith.Smith said Gary was one of the top sound-system operators in the area but was humble and often "flew under the radar."He also gave guitar lessons and taught young performers how to increase their stage confidence.Often customers at the store could persuade Gary to break into a silly song, Smith said.But, "He also had a stubborn streak." Gary stubbornly stuck to playing old country music even though a switch to a more popular genre may have launched a career turn, Smith said.He was especially fond of children. As the youngest of 10 children, Gary had numerous nieces and nephews whom he loved to tease."He spoiled every one of his nieces and nephews," said Zena Rae.Zena Rae said Gary communicated well with the old and young.His niece, Meihwa Tanielle Bench Alvarez, said she remembers sharing music and jokes with Gary until their teeth were dry and their sides hurt from laughter."I remember Gary as one of the most fun, sarcastic, and fun-loving people I know. We would be found singing, making jokes and writing songs in the Nuts & Things Store late into the night," said nephew Tom Bench. "He was my uncle, but we acted more like best friends. Gary loved people. And they loved him back."Smith said many people will sorely miss Gary."Talk about someone leaving a hole in your life after they've gone."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho) Visit The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho) at magicvalley.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage