From 1960 to 1982, Benton reported for CBS News covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War.
Worked for Charlotte radio station WBT-AM as a news reporter before joining CBS News. He also played snare drum on recordings by Bluegrass band Don Reno & Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cutups; he was one of the earliest Bluegrass drummers.