Benjamin Lerner
The Great-grandson of Irving Berlin (composer of such iconic tunes as “God Bless America” and “White Christmas”), Benjamin Lerner is a Vermont-based Rapper, Composer, Writer, Recovery Advocate, Radio Host, and Viral Content Creator with over 550,000 followers across social media platforms and almost 1 billion total video views on his recovery content.
Benjamin started his musical career as a classical piano prodigy. By his early twenties, he was an IV fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine addict. Now sober since June 13, 2016, he journals his journey in addiction and sobriety in his signature piano-raps, which combine classical piano and Hip-Hop elements. Benjamin credits his continued success in recovery to his ability to express his emotions through word and song.
Benjamin has had the pleasure of performing for the National Academy of Medicine, The Aspen Institute, Barrington Stage Company, and at Carnegie Hall as part of the Indie Collaborative.
His debut album, CLEAN, was released in February 2020 and produced by Old Mill Road Recording. Since then, he has released several singles and 2 EPs, Keep Moving Forward (2024) and Run Towards the Truth (2025), all produced at Old Mill Road. The Third EP in the trilogy, Don’t Quit Before the Miracle Happens, is in the works, as is his second full length studio album.
The inspiration behind the EP names is rooted in the sign-off from Benjamin’s CLEAN Column, a serialized, autobiographical recovery column that ran in the Vermont News Guide from January 2020 through January 2025:
“Keep Moving Forward. Run Towards the Truth. Don’t Quit Before the Miracle Happens.”
In June 2026, Benjamin celebrated his 10th year of sobriety with CLEAN Jam 2026, marking the first-ever 24-hour LIVE broadcast in WEQX 102.7 FM history. Inspired by the Jerry Lewis charity telethon model and reimagined for the modern social media era, CLEAN Jam 2026 blended music, celebrity appearances, recovery conversations, audience interaction, giveaways, and community fundraising into one continuous multi-platform LIVE experience and served as a fundraiser for both 1761 Arts and The Wilson House. The massive undertaking featured TONY®, EMMY®, GRAMMY®, and OSCAR® Winners, Politicians, Recovery Advocates, Healthcare Providers, Musicians, and Social Media Figures all sharing their stories of–and relationships to–addiction and recovery. CLEAN Jam 2026 received generous support from The National Basketball Association, The Stratton Corporation, and The MARGARET Fund.
Most recently, Benjamin has been flooded with invitations to speak and perform across the country. In August, Benjamin headlined Recovery in the Park in Augusta, Maine, in collaboration with HFGC Recovery. In September, Lerner traveled to Port Huron, Michigan, to perform at BWROC’s RecoveryFest alongside Christian pop vocalist and social-media superstar Bear Bailey of Maverick City Music. In November, he will perform at SoberFest in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, alongside nationally-recognized recovery advocate Jimmy McGill (of Next Step Recovery) and faith-and-recovery artist CLEAN Slate Muzik. Additional (not-yet-announced) engagements are scheduled for December 2026 and beyond.
In February 2026, Benjamin received the “Jack Barry Communications Award” from the Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery; in September 2026, he was recognized by Living in Recovery (a Pittsfield, Massachussetts-based recovery organization) with the “Beacon of Hope Award”; and The Vermont Association of Broadcasters honored WEQX with the prestigious “Alan Noyes Community Service Award” for hosting Benjamin Lerner’s CLEAN Jam 2026.
Benjamin is the host of the weekly recovery rap radio show, CLEAN Jams, on the legendary Vermont alternative radio station 102.7 WEQX, and is a proud voting member of the Recording Academy.