Benny Starr

Benny Starr is the Senior Fellow, Arts and Culture at the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization advancing policies and programs that build a sustainable water future for all. Benny works with Alliance staff and the Alliance network to infuse arts and culture-based strategies into thinking, problem-solving, and programming.

Born in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Benny Starr is constantly going against the grain while paying homage to the legends that came before him, crafting bodies of work that require your time and full attention. His most recent body of work, “A Water Album,” was released on Juneteenth, 2019, and was recorded live at Charleston Music Hall with his bandmates, The Four20s. In January 2020, Benny and singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Rodrick Cliche joined talents and birthed the innovative partnership, Native Son. Native Son’s most recent release, “The Land,” is a rallying cry that echoes the injustices of Black Legacy Farmers at the hands of the USDA, and is part of an ongoing partnership with The Acres of Ancestry Initiative/Black Agrarian Fund and The Black Farmers Appeal: Cancel Pigford Debt Campaign.

In addition to his work with the Alliance, Benny serves as a board member for Community Resources for Enduring Wellness (CREW). In his free time, Benny enjoys creating music, watching movies, and traveling.