 He, his parents and his sister Monika Bendorff performed as a family in a cabaret act.Young Benny also became an accomplished trumpet player, performing as a soloist with the NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk, or North German Radio) orchestra at the age of 12.In his teens, Benny became more interested in the burgeoning rock scene, especially the English musicians who performed in Hamburg's Reeperbahn district.