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Benjamin Orr
Orr in 1984
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Orzechowski
Also known as	Benjamin Orr
Born	September 8, 1947 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	October 3, 2000(2000-10-03) (aged 53) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Rock new wave power pop
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Bass vocals
Years active	1965–2000
Labels	Elektra
Formerly of	The Cars · Voices of Classic Rock

Benjamin Orr (né Orzechowski, September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) was an American musician. He was best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the bandthe Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their hits, including "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go", "Moving in Stereo", and "Drive". He also had a moderate solo hit with "Stay the Night".

Orr was posthumously inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cars in 2018.^[1]

Benjamin Orzechowski was born inLakewood, Ohio^[2] to immigrant parents. His mother, Elizabeth (née Alžbeta Benová), wasCarpatho-Rusyn, born in present-dayKojšov, Slovakia, and his father, Charles Orzechowski, was of Polish origin, born in present-dayUkraine.^[3] Both were devoutByzantine RiteCatholics^[4] and Ben's mother would not allow him to drive his first car until the local clergy had blessed it.^[3] His family actively supported his musical endeavors. He became proficient in several instruments including the guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, and drums.^[5]

Known locally as "Benny 11 Letters", he grew up in Lakewood, Ohio, andParma, Ohio and attendedValley Forge High School before joining local band the Grasshoppers in 1964.^[6]

Formed inCleveland, Ohio, the Grasshoppers were an instrumental-based foursome.^[7] Their featured band members were Louis Pratile (lead guitar), Jerry Zadar (bass guitar), and Sid Turner (drummer). They were joined by the then-seventeen-year-old Orzechowski, who became their lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and sometimes doubled as a drummer.^[6]

"Pink Champagne (and Red Roses)"

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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 (and later the Mixed Emotions) were also thehouse band on theBig 5 Show, more commonly known asUpbeat, a musical variety television show produced byWEWS-TV in Cleveland.^[5]

The Grasshoppers dissolved in 1966 when two of the band members were drafted into theU.S. Army. Orzechowski then played in the band Mixed Emotions, which featured Joe Kurelic (drummer), Chris Kamburoff (rhythm guitar), David Gardina (bass guitar), and Jimmy Vince with Orzechowski (lead guitar) as lead vocalists.^[8] The band recorded three unreleased tracks: "Forever You Have My Heart", "I'll Do My Cryin' In The Rain" and "I Can't Help It".^[9]

He later joined another band, the Colours. Eventually Orzechowski was drafted as well, although he received a deferment after approximately a year and a half in the Army.^[10][11]

Orr first metRic Ocasek in Cleveland in the mid-1960s, after Ocasek saw Orr performing with the Grasshoppers on theBig 5 Show.^[12] A few years later, Orr moved toColumbus, Ohio, where he and Ocasek formed a musical partnership that would continue in various incarnations (until the breakup of the Cars in 1988). In the late 1960s, they formed the bands ID Nirvana and Leatherwood, performing in and aroundOhio State University.^[12]

In the early 1970s, after moving toBoston, Massachusetts, the two musicians formed the folk trio Milkwood with guitarist Jim Goodkind. The group was named after aDylan Thomas poem called "Under Milkwood".^[13] In 1972, the group released one album,How's the Weather? underParamount Records which failed to chart.^[14] From the list of songs on the album, Orr wrote "Lincoln Park".^[13]

Remaining in Boston, the duo Ocasek and Orr then formed another band, Richard and the Rabbits, featuring keyboardistGreg Hawkes.

This was followed by another Ocasek and Orr band, Cap'n Swing, "an almost famous band". The additional band members included guitaristElliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, Todd Roberto, Danny (Schliftman) Louis, and Glenn Evans.^[15]

They would perform songs such as "City Lights", "Jezebel", "Strawberry Moonlight", "Will You Still Love Me Tonight", and "Come Back Down". A few of these songs would make an appearance in the early days of the Cars, in 1977. In later years, there was a CD released labeled theJezebel album, which contained demos.^[15]

After the group broke up in 1976, Orr, Ocasek, Hawkes, Easton and drummerDavid Robinson formedthe Cars.

As a member of the Cars, Orr sang lead vocal on some of the band's best-known songs, including their first hit in the top 40, "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go", and "Drive", their highest-charting single in the United States.

Orr's work with the Cars spanned eleven years and six studio albums culminating withDoor to Door, before the group disbanded in 1988. Afterwards, he and the other members pursued solo work.

Orr released his only solo album,The Lace, in 1986. He cowrote the music and lyrics with his long-time girlfriend Diane Grey Page, who also sang backing vocals and appeared on the album's back cover.^[16]

The album featured a top-40 pop and top-10 album rock hit, "Stay the Night".^[17] An accompanying music video for the song was played in heavy rotation onMTV.^[18] A second single, "Too Hot to Stop", was also released, but did not chart on theBillboard Hot 100, although it reached No. 25 on the album rock chart.

In the late 1980s, Orr worked withJoni Mitchell's husbandLarry Klein, who coproducedThe Lace. Orr provided backing vocals for "Number One" and "The Beat of Black Wings" for Mitchell's 1988 albumChalk Mark in a Rain Storm.^[19]

In the mid-1990s, Orr recorded tracks with guitarist John Kalishes for an unreleased follow-up album toThe Lace, including a rendition ofStan Meissner's "River of Fire". Although the album was never officially released, multiple tracks exist.^[20]

From 1998 until his death in 2000, Orr performed with his own band ORR and two side bands,Voices of Classic Rock withMickey Thomas andJohn Cafferty,^[21][22] and cover band Big People^[2] withPat Travers, Jeff Carlisi (of38 Special),Derek St. Holmes (ofTed Nugent's band) andLiberty DeVitto (ofBilly Joel's band).

Orr was married twice and had one son.^[23]

In April 2000, Orr was diagnosed withpancreatic cancer and hospitalized.^[24] However, he continued to perform with the band Big People throughout that summer at music festivals and state fairs. He reunited with the Cars one last time inAtlanta for an interview that was included in theRhino Records concert videoThe Cars Live.

Orr died from the disease at his home in Atlanta on October 3, 2000, at the age of 53.^[25][26][27] He had made his final public appearance on September 27, performing with Big People inAlaska.^[28] Bandmates Jeff Carlisi, Derek St. Holmes and Rob Wilson were at Orr's bedside when he died.

Ric Ocasek wrote and recorded the song "Silver" as a musical tribute to Orr.^[29] It appeared on Ocasek's 2005 solo albumNexterday.^[30] The Cars reunited ten years after Orr's death and released their seventh studio album,Move Like This, in May 2011.^[31] Orr was given special thanks in the liner notes: "Ben, your spirit was with us on this one."^[32]

• The Lace (1986) – US# 86

• "Mod Socks" b/w "Twin Beat" (1965) Sunburst Records
• "Pink Champagne (and Red Roses)" b/w "The Wasp" (1965) Sunburst Records

• How's the Weather? (1973)

• The Cars (1978)
• Candy-O (1979)
• Panorama (1980)
• Shake It Up (1981)
• Heartbeat City (1984)
• Door to Door (1987)

• 1988 :Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm byJoni Mitchell - backing vocals on 2 songs

• * = shared withRic Ocasek

• [1]
• Benjamin Orr biography – Allmusic
• Benjamin Orr atIMDb
• Benjamin Orr—Find a Grave
• {https://benjaminorrthelega.wixsite.com/thelegacy

• 1947 births
• 2000 deaths
• 20th-century American bass guitarists
• 20th-century American male singers
• 20th-century American singers
• American male bass guitarists
• American male new wave singers
• American new wave musicians
• American people of Czech descent
• American people of German descent
• American people of Polish descent
• American people of Russian descent
• American rock bass guitarists
• American rock singers
• American tenors
• The Cars members
• Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Elektra Records artists
• Guitarists from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Guitarists from Ohio
• Musicians from Atlanta
• Musicians from Cleveland
• Musicians from Lakewood, Ohio
• Singers from Ohio

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