History of the Daytona Blues Festival:

How it all started...
Anthony D. Benecasa, or Benji, as he was known his whole life, was born in Cold Spring, NY in 1948. A teenager of the 60's he started playing drums at the age of 12. He was a natural. By age 14, he was playing at weddings, block dances, and where ever he could. He continued to play drums his whole life. He fell in love with the blues and early rock and roll music. When the Beatles were new to the United States, he was in a band called The Humbugs. They were contracted to play at the 1964 World's Fair, but because of his rambunctiousness Benji was "grounded." The band played, he didn't.



   
He formed a band in the late 80's called The Rippers. They covered the early blues and rock and roll he loved so much, such as the Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Rolling Stones, Ten Years After and Cream. They had a couple of original songs that played on the syndicated radio show the Blues Hour. They also regularly travelled to Daytona Beach for bike week, and they were a Main Street staple.


 
Besides music, Benji loved motorcycles and cars. His first bike, purchased right after high school graduation in 1966, was a Triumph 500. He drove that bike to Woodstock in 1969. A string of Harleys followed, capped off by a 1999 Fat Boy. His final car was a 1965 Pontiac GTO hardtop with the 4 speed tri-power carb setup.

Benji's work in New York City introduced him to many musicians. Because of his nature, Benji became close friends with each one. Friends and family never grew tired of his endless tales, such as that special Friday night with Warren Haynes, or the time he filled in on the drums for Vanilla Fudge.

He was a calming force with his friends and family. He made lemonade out of lemons no matter how bad the situation was. Once, when a newlywed couple was having their first Christmas party at their house, the contractor wouldn't remove the 30' dumpster until after the holidays. When the new wife told Benji how upset she was about it, he went over to the house while she was out and decorated the dumpster with garlands, wreaths and lights.

Benji moved to Daytona Beach in 2000. He had become familiar with the area during his many bike week visits over the years. When Benji moved to Daytona, he quickly became a fixture on the local music scene. In fact, Benji was playing at The Bank and Blues club when he suffered his first seizure, which lead to his diagnosis of brain cancer. Benji succumbed to cancer in 2007. He is missed by all who knew and loved him.

Benji always dreamed of starting a national blues festival in the Daytona area. He firmly believed that this area was uniquely situated and should become the Austin, Texas of the southeast. It is in his name and in his honor that the current Daytona Blues Festival has been conceived. It is also in keeping with his generous nature that all proceeds from the Daytona Blues Festival will be donated to Camp Boggy Creek and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and other initiatives for Women and Children at Halifax Health.