When Paul Benson of Sewickley was 5, he accepted bribes. Now 21, Benson said when he was a young boy, he would raise such a fuss when it was time to take piano lessons with Brent Stater, his parents would promise to take him to Toys 'R Us. He remembers getting a Batman outfit and a bicycle as rewards for going to weekly practices.

Today the two men are members of the same band, Bishop Clay, which recently released its first CD, "Sideways," and is working on a second.

Stater, who plays keyboard, bass and rhythm guitar, laughed when he talked about those early lessons with Benson, lead vocalist, lyricist and lead guitarist.

"He hated lessons so much, he would just sit there and stare at me, like 'Who is the evil man I have to see every Wednesday at 3 p.m.?'" said Stater, who has taught private music lessons in Sewickley since 1992.

"If you would have told me when Paul was 5, I would be on stage with him someday, I would have said you were crazy. But, you never know where life will lead you," said Stater.

Now the two friends see each other three or four times a week to practice with other band members, and Benson still takes piano, voice and guitar lessons from Stater.

Although the two friends admitted they still argue a lot, they and other band members (Peter Fedeyshin, of Sewickley, rhythm and lead guitar; Zack Perkins, Sewickley, rhythm guitar; Troy James Syzmanski, Leetsdale, drums; Ryan Ramsey, of Washington, Pa., bass; and Mary Falkowski, Fair Oaks, vocals) said they are working hard to try to make Bishop Clay a success.

The same day the band performed at its CD release party at Altar Bar in the Strip District, members also performed live on 102.5 WDVE's Coffeehouse. Songs from "Sideways," a mixture of ballads, heavy and modern rock and a salsa tune, also have been played on 93.7 WBZW and 105.9 WXDX. Members now are in the process of getting the CD some exposure in New York City.

In May, members performed at Penn State University and Hard Rock Cafe in Station Square, where they again will play at 10 p.m. Oct. 16. Bishop Clay also is scheduled from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Nov. 25 at at Rhythm House Cafe, Bridgeville. Dates of a performances at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh and Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse will be announced soon.

The band was named after Bishop Donald Clay, who founded Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh and leads Petra International Ministries. Benson's father, Cliff Benson, serves on the school's board of directors.

"When we first started to think about putting out a CD, we were at the church with the producer and Bishop Clay. The bishop said he could tell my son had a gift and would do extraordinary things with his music. He said it wouldn't be with Christian music, but with rock music" Cliff said.

Stater said all band members are talented, but agreed Benson possesses special gifts.

"He has the guts to stand up at the microphone and sing and play for the crowd. It doesn't matter if it's raining or whether it's at a friend's house or on the big stage Downtown. Paul just takes the stage and goes," he said.

Benson wrote all the lyrics for "Sideways," while other members of the band collaborated on the music.

"They take my idea and play around with it," Benson said.

Some of Benson's ideas come from his and his friends' experiences--including some things he's not so proud of, he said. Other songs lean toward Benson's political ideas.

"A lot of the songs are stories I come up with, and I talk about things we deal with in everyday life," he said.

Much of his music is influenced by Kid Rock.

Benson has been a member of a band on and off since he was in seventh grade. He's played at local churches, such as St. Stephen's, and smaller venues, including American Music Cafe' in Murrysville.

After graduating high school, Benson participated in an intensive summer music program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. From there, he studied vocals and guitar at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, Mo.

As the oldest member of the band of 20-year-olds, Stater said he helps lend some discipline to the group.

"There's something about being the oldest," Stater, 45, said. "They listen to you. Just the presence of an older man changes rehearsal dynamics. I help clear things up.

"Some of the kids in the band have been students of mine.

"Now, I get to perform with them. It's such a great thing, being up on stage with my students."

To find out more about Bishop Clay, log onto Web site, www.bishopclay.com.