Benny Tipene

Benjamin Benny Tipene is a New Zealand singersongwriter and musician. He is known for his appearance on the first New Zealand series of The X Factor where he finished in third place. Competing in the Boys category, he was mentored by Ruby Frost. His debut single Walking on Water was released onJuly 2013 and debuted at number two on the Official New Zealand Music Chart and was certified platinum.

Tipene was born in 1990 in Auckland. In 2007 he and classmates at Freyberg High School formed a band which became indie rock group The Nerines, and went on to be a popular act on Palmerston Norths live music scene. After switching from electric to acoustic guitar while travelling in Europe, Tipene returned to New Zealand and began performing acoustic songs and embarked on a tour of flats in Palmerston North. Tipene also recorded demos and albums that were released on Bandcamp. At the time of his The X Factor audition in early 2013, Tipene lived off music, working one day a week at a Palmerston North musical instrument retailer and playing professional gigs on weekends.

Source: Wikipedia