Ben Orr
| Benjamin Orr | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
Orr in 1978 on The Midnight Special
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin Orzechowski |
| Born | September 8, 1947 Lakewood, Ohio |
| Died | October 3, 2000 (aged 53) Atlanta, Georgia |
| Genres | Rock, new wave |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1965–2000 |
| Labels | Elektra |
| Associated acts | The Cars, Voices of Classic Rock, Big People |
Benjamin Orzechowski (September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000), known as Benjamin Orr, was an American musician best known as a singer, bassist and co-founder of the rock band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their best known songs, including "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go" and "Drive". He also scored a moderate solo hit with "Stay the Night."
Benjamin Orr was born in Lakewood, Ohio to parents of Polish, Russian, Czechoslovakian and German descent, who actively supported his musical endeavors. He became proficient in several instruments including the guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, and drums. Known locally as "Benny 11-Letters," he grew up in Lakewood, Ohio, and Parma, Ohio, and attended Valley Forge High School before joining a local band the Grasshoppers as lead singer and guitarist in 1964.
In 1965, the Grasshoppers released two singles on the Sunburst label, "Mod Socks" and "Pink Champagne (and Red Roses)", the latter written by Orzechowski. The Grasshoppers were also the house band on the Big 5 Show, a musical variety TV show produced by WEWS-TV in Cleveland. The Grasshoppers dissolved in 1966 when two of the band members were drafted into the U.S. Army, after which Orzechowski joined the band Mixed Emotions and later, the Colours. Later Orzechowski was drafted as well, although he received a deferment after approximately a year and a half in the Army.
Orr first met Ric Ocasek, the future leader of the Cars, in Cleveland in the 1960s after Ocasek saw Orr performing with the Grasshoppers on the Big 5 Show. A few years later, Orr moved to Columbus, Ohio where he and Ocasek formed a musical partnership that would continue in various incarnations until the break-up of the Cars in 1988. After moving to Boston, the two formed a folk band called Milkwood with guitarist James Goodkind.
...
Wikipedia