Eric Benét laughs as he realizes the moment: “Wait a minute… 30 years? That means I’m officially old now.”
Next year marks three decades since the release of “True to Myself.” In 1996, Benét’s debut solo album introduced his singular blend of vulnerability, musicianship, and emotional truth. And as fate would have it, he’s getting an early start on celebrating that milestone while bringing a special holiday performance to St. Louis—one of the cities most responsible for his rise to R&B royalty.
On December 14, the four-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter will take the stage at City Winery for a seasonal concert anchored by his new Christmas album “It’s Christmas.” For St. Louis fans, it will also be a homecoming.
Long before Benét became one of R&B’s most revered vocalists, he made a creative pilgrimage to St. Louis to work with a young producer then known as Christian Warren—now globally respected Yoruba Records founder Osunlade. Their collaboration birthed “Femininity,” the breakout single that helped define Benét’s early sound.
“I remember my A&R rep—who’s now my business partner—telling me, ‘You need to write a song about how much you just love everything about women,’” Benét said. “And that’s where ‘Femininity’ came from.”
He recorded the vocals in St. Louis with Osunlade and his favorite engineer, further expanding the Milwaukee native’s Midwestern imprint. “That was such a dope time,” Benét said. “St. Louis became part of my musical DNA after that.”
Benét’s debut album wasn’t just a musical statement—it was personal liberation. Years before “True to Myself,” he endured profound challenges: the loss of the mother of his eldest daughter, India, and creative restrictions imposed by industry gatekeepers. Those experiences solidified the album’s ethos.
“God has a way of putting what feels like defeat in your path to prepare you for what’s next,” he reflected. “I told myself, ‘If I ever get to record again, I’m holding the reins. I’m going to be true to myself—period.’”
That conviction has guided every project since. “I don’t care what the trends are,” he said. “My only job is to make sure I’m getting goosebumps in the studio—telling the truth, being vulnerable, and letting the music flow from the heart.”
This year, Benét released his first holiday album. The record leans into his love for jazz. “Jazz is one of the foundations of who I am musically,” he said. “Even on songs people call R&B, if you really listen, there’s jazz in the chords and harmonies.”
His holiday interpretations range from rich, Nat King Cole–styled arrangements to reimagined classics like “My Favorite Things.’ “I wanted to do Christmas songs people wouldn’t expect—and I specifically avoided some of my favorites because they’ve been done too many times,” he said, laughing. “Like ‘This Christmas.’ There are way too many spins on that song, when Donny Hathaway already made the perfect version. Some songs you just don’t touch.”
Before “It’s Christmas” dropped at the end of October, his duet album “The Co-Star” was the first of two new projects Benét released this year. The back-to-back albums came after nearly eight years without a studio release.
“When my youngest kids were little, I didn’t want to miss those 3-4-5-6-7-8 years,” he said. “Touring alone already takes you away. But promoting an album? I would’ve never been home.”
Now that his younger two are “11 and almost 14,” Benét has returned to the studio and the road with fresh momentum.
“Logistically? Lord Jesus,” Benet said about recording “The Co-Star.” “Trying to coordinate with everybody’s schedules was more than a notion. But I’m so proud of it. It turned out even better than I imagined.”
He promises the City Winery performance will be a full-circle experience: holiday warmth and the kind of vocal mastery that has made musicians and singers alike hold him in rarefied esteem. “What people can expect is the truth,” he said. “Real music. Real singing. Someone who’s almost 60 but feels like he’s more in his bag than ever.”
Benét credits his staying power to the musical ecosystem he grew up in as the youngest of five siblings in a musical family. “My dad was listening to Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, my mom had the Clark Sisters and the Hawkins Family, my siblings were playing Stanley Clarke and George Duke,” he said. “I was raised in this environment of musical perfection across genres. So, when I’m in the studio—or on stage—every part of the music has to hit you in the soul.”
And for anyone worried about whether he still has the vocal agility he debuted with in the ’90s, Benét is quick to reassure: “I’ve been taking care of myself so I can do everything I did in my 20s—just with a lot more wisdom and technique.”
As he prepares to mark 30 years of “True to Myself”—and kicks off the holiday season in a city tied to his beginnings—Benét is reflective, grateful, and energized. “I’m just having fun,” he said. “And St. Louis has always shown me love. I can’t wait to share this music with y’all.”
Eric Benét’s Holiday Tour will take place at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 14 at City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For tickets or more information, call (314) 678-5060 or visit www.citywinery.com/st-louis/events.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
