₦airaland Forum

Benedict Murray-Bruce was born on February
18, 1956 in Lagos to an Ijaw parent Mullighan
and Margaret Murray-Bruce from Akassa,
Bayelsa State of Nigeria. He attended the
famous Our Lady of Apostles, in Yaba, Lagos and
St. Gregory College in Ikoyi.
He studied Marketing and Business at the
University of Southern Carolina.
Growing up was not a bed of roses. His father
was a public servant who worked with the UAC.
Ben whose initial dream was to be a professor of
history had the opportunity of working in Domino
Stores, a departmental store owned by his
father. He however decided to do other things.
His venture into show business didn’t enjoy the
support of his parents. In his words “One time I
was dancing and my father saw me dancing. He
said, “If I ever catch you dancing, you’ll never
use those legs again.” Though his father hated
show business, thinking it was a waste of time,
but somehow he managed to cope with a son who
was bent on making a living out of the business.
Even though he hated the business, he enjoyed
the attention he was getting being the father to
Ben.
Ben got into show business by accident. He
recounts “I was at home one day in Los Angeles,
USA, and somebody knocked on my door and I
said who do you want? He said, he was looking
for somebody and I said you are in the wrong
house. We got talking and I said what is your
name, he told me. And I said what do you do, he
said, ‘I’m a teacher’. He was very friendly and
so I asked him in. As we talked, I said, ‘if you
are a teacher, who do you teach?’ he said Janet
Jackson, and I said who else? He said Todd
Bridges, Garry Coleman. And I said you mean you
are really a teacher? He said yes. Then he asked
what do I do? I said, ‘I’m a student of the
University of Southern Carolina.
The man told him he was working on a set at
that time and invited him over. That was where
he met Redd Fox of the Sandford and Sons’
fame, the Jeffersons and others. He ended up
meeting a lot of actors and actresses. One day,
his friend proposed “Hey, let’s do a show in
Nigeria’ and they did their first show and the
rest is history.
Silverbird Productions started in 1980 with a
borrowed capital of N20, 000.00; a desk in a
small corner of the Domino administrative office,
six staff and only two business activities,
pageant and programme syndication. Today, with
hundreds of staff, the company has turned to a
conglomerate – three radio stations, Rhythm
93.7 in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt;
Silverbird television; the Most Beautiful Girl in
Nigeria; Silverbird Cinema, Silverbird
Entertainment and Silverbird Galleria. Silverbird
Cinema, the first and only Cinema multi-plex
with five screens, has been a huge success and
they are holding talks with some State
governments in the country to replicate the
Lagos success story.
His entry into the pageantry business came at a
time when the Miss Nigeria franchise was
beginning to lose its glamour, the interest of
Nigerians and its sponsor. His brainchild, Most
Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) pageant
eventually took over the market leadership from
the Miss Nigeria, owned and operated by the
Daily Times of Nigeria. MBGN produced the likes
of Omasan Buwa, Bianca Onoh and Agbani
Darego.
Agbani Darego won the Miss World contest and
became the first ever Nigerian and African to
win the Miss World pageant. Mr. Bruce
successfully brought Julia Morley and the whole
Miss World show to Nigeria for the 2002 Miss
World event slated for Nigeria that year.
Religious riots sparks by a newspaper article
torpedoed the plan.
Mr. Bruce who is married to Evelyn, an American
with two boys and a girl, has served as
Executive Director – Black Music Association of
America with Quincy Jones, Dick Griffey, Stevie
Wonder as well as Executive Director – Coalition
for a Free Africa with the late President Samora
Machel of Mozambique and the Rev. Jesse
Jackson. He was also on the board of National
Arts Theatre Management, The Federal Film
Censors Board, The Board of the Nigerian Film
Corporation, National Film Distribution Company
and Nigerian Anti-Piracy Action Committee.
Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, motivational speaker role
mode to Nigerian youths is a director of several
companies in Nigeria as well as in France, the
United Kingdom and the United States of
America.

Mr. Ben Murray Bruce is really reping St. Gregory's college Ikoyi.


UP GREGS! !!!!!!!!!

I tot he opened silverbird with stolen money from NTA? That part wasn't said at all

iamphilips:
Mr. Ben Murray Bruce is really reping St. Gregory's college Ikoyi. UP GREGS! !!!!!!!!!

Yeah, UP GREGS! Those were the days, my friend. How time flies.

himkers:
I tot he opened silverbird with stolen money from NTA? That part wasn't said at all

Man being!!!!!!!!!!!! This is serious

I don't see anything that's not a bed of roses from what you typed.

mymadam:
Yeah, UP GREGS! Those were the days, my friend. How time flies.

cool what set? ?

See another guy yorubas built!! ! We're just too much!

Proudly Igbomina!

GMB my hero, FAYEMI my role model and Rochas our next Presido!!

olaglamour:
Man being!!!!!!!!!!!! This is serious

humn... forget all those who are out to mess his name

Demmzy15:
See another guy yorubas built!! ! We're just too much!

Proudly Igbomina!

GMB my hero, FAYEMI my role model and Rochas our next Presido!!

lolzzzz funny guy you are... all those places he worked and the people he worked with abroad are all yorubas... taaaaaaaaaa!!!

Demmzy15:
See another guy yorubas built!! ! We're just too much!

Proudly Igbomina!

GMB my hero, FAYEMI my role model and Rochas our next Presido!!

I guess your own success as a yoruba must have surpassed that of Ben Bruce as yorubas are success builders?

Just like the Gwaris are showing good example in Abuja

Deltagiant:
I guess your own success as a yoruba must have surpassed that of Ben Bruce as yorubas are success builders?

Just like the Gwaris are showing good example in Abuja

Ode, off point!