El Dorado Man Denied Chance to Sing with Old Boss MC Hammer
By: Brea Douglas, KTVE
Updated: August 23, 2012
Around El Dorado, Benito Glosson is known as a local celebrity. During the early 90s, he spent time traveling the world singing and dancing with hip hop mogul MC Hammer. At just 19 years of age, Glosson was suddenly thrust in the limelight with one of music's biggest superstars.
"I sung on seven records on the last album he had out Too Legit to Quit, which sold over 10 million copies worldwide and I've been places abroad a lot of people would just dream about going," Glosson says.
Earlier this summer when Glosson found out that MC Hammer would be one of the headliners at this year's Music Fest in downtown El Dorado, he jumped at the chance to sing again on stage with his old friend. MC Hammer even shared in his excitement.
"I have a text message that Hammer sent me back in April of this year and the text message was talking about us doing a song together where we'll definitely be doing one song maybe two," says Glosson.
However, that excitement was short lived when Glosson found out from Music Fest organizers that he wouldn't be allowed on stage to sing with MC Hammer because of his decision to run for city council.
"In a statement issued by Main Street El Dorado-the organization putting on Music Fest, they are prohibited by the IRS from being involved in political activity and says it's best practice not to even give the appearance of favoritism," he explains. "Hammer come here and me not be on stage with him that's like a slap in my face and to my community also."
Glosson says he doesn't understand what singing has to do with politics and says he's waiting to hear back from MC Hammer on the matter.
"I do know from being around Hammer all of these years, he's not going to be happy about it and he knows my town because I used to talk to him all the time about it," Glosson says.
Glosson says that he does want to pursue the issue further, but he won't drop out of the city council race to be allowed the chance to sing on stage with MC Hammer in October for Music Fest.
"I sung on seven records on the last album he had out Too Legit to Quit, which sold over 10 million copies worldwide and I've been places abroad a lot of people would just dream about going," Glosson says.
Earlier this summer when Glosson found out that MC Hammer would be one of the headliners at this year's Music Fest in downtown El Dorado, he jumped at the chance to sing again on stage with his old friend. MC Hammer even shared in his excitement.
"I have a text message that Hammer sent me back in April of this year and the text message was talking about us doing a song together where we'll definitely be doing one song maybe two," says Glosson.
However, that excitement was short lived when Glosson found out from Music Fest organizers that he wouldn't be allowed on stage to sing with MC Hammer because of his decision to run for city council.
"In a statement issued by Main Street El Dorado-the organization putting on Music Fest, they are prohibited by the IRS from being involved in political activity and says it's best practice not to even give the appearance of favoritism," he explains. "Hammer come here and me not be on stage with him that's like a slap in my face and to my community also."
Glosson says he doesn't understand what singing has to do with politics and says he's waiting to hear back from MC Hammer on the matter.
"I do know from being around Hammer all of these years, he's not going to be happy about it and he knows my town because I used to talk to him all the time about it," Glosson says.
Glosson says that he does want to pursue the issue further, but he won't drop out of the city council race to be allowed the chance to sing on stage with MC Hammer in October for Music Fest.
