His second album, which will be released in the next few months, was co-produced by his father, Jon Carroll, who also plays on every song. Jon Carroll and Ben's mother, Margot Chapman, were part of music history as one half of the Starland Vocal Band. That group's debut record in 1976 included the timeless hit, "Afternoon Delight" - a song that always seems to pop up in a new movie or on a television show every few years.
Ben Carroll carries on the family tradition of soulful singing and R&B music. While his first record showcased his soulful singing ability against a folk & blues background, his new record brings out the Stax/Motown flavor with a full band sound.
"I love all that old Stax soul and Motown stuff," said Ben Carroll. "I produced it with my dad and he was reared on that stuff."
Carroll grew up in the Washington, DC area and now lives in Brooklyn. He did some acting early on, but it didn't take long before he began focusing solely on music.
"I grew up in a great musical household, but they never forced it on me," he explained. "I always sang and just enjoyed music and that aspect of life. I think that after a matter of time I just realized it and accepted it."
One thing that stands out about Carroll's music is his songwriting. He writes crisp, descriptive lyrics that flow and blend wonderfully with the music. Never one to be hung up with genres, he moves fluidly from folk to soul to blues to pop.
"I think artistically speaking it's a little bit pigeonholding to talk about influences because I don't think about that stuff too much as much as what's right for the song while I'm doing it and while I'm performing."
His work is beginning to get noticed from the industry as well. He was one of a few songwriters chosen to be a part of the BMI 2007 Contemporary Professional Songwriting Workshop, which ran for eight weeks in New York City this past spring.
The upcoming record will feature 11 original songs and should be released in either August or September. It is being released throughout the UK on the Orchid Music label and available everywhere online.
"I feel really good about the album," said Carroll. "I think it's really strong material and the performances are great. We had a lot of fun making every song. We are planning to get out on the road to open for some big acts in the later half of this year."
Ben Carroll will be performing a solo set at the Black Potatoe Music Festival in Clinton on Sunday, July 15th. He'll be at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on the 16th and at The Paradise Lounge in Boston on the 17th.
For more information, visit his websites at www.bencarroll.com or
www.myspace.com/bencarrollmusic
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
