The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Orr died of pancreatic cancer on Oct. 3, 2000 at the age of 53, less than 6 months after his diagnosis and a week after his last performance. Aside from the string of hits he enjoyed as a member of The Cars during the 1980s, Benjamin Orr, who has died aged 53, earned himself a fragment of rock'n'roll immortality as the vocalist on the group's Drive, the poignant ballad used to devastating effect over news footage of starving Ethiopians during the 1985 Live Aid telecast. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Ocasek and Orr seemed to be on their way Milkwood signed with Paramount Records and released an album in 1972, but it sold poorly and the band fell apart. Benjamin went to the Valley Forge High School and joined the band called 'Grasshoppers'. After a couple of other moves from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Boston, they started another group, a folk ensemble called Milkwood. "Magic" and "Let's Go" made the Top 20. When did Herbert Orr die? - Answers Normally, I wouldn't feel comfortable to post personal things about his family but this is in the news. Its now been revealed that Ocasek died from cardiovascular disease specifically hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, also called atherosclerosis, which is an accumulation of plaque in the arteries that can weaken the hearts muscle. Benjamin Orr (Massachusetts politician) - Wikipedia In 1982, Orr began working on his own album, though it wouldn't emerge for four years. Benjamin died on October 3, 2000, as he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was hospitalized. When I was younger, I took it for granted. Benjamin Orr had his own solo album, which was released in 1986, and the name was 'The Lace'. In his later stage of life, Orr was performing for his own band along with two other bands, named 'Voices Of Classic Rock' and 'Big People'.He was very well practiced and proficient with guitar, keyboards, drums, and other musical instruments. Ben got drafted as well, but received a deferment after serving one and And it was great." Ric Ocasek Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com He played bass, keyboards, and percussion a half years in the Army. The memorial concluded with a moving slide show, which featured pictures of Orr from infancy through his various bands, to the musical accompaniment of the Orr-sung Cars song Drive and Orrs own Stay the Night.. Benjamin Orr 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. According to his official website, Benjamin Orr died on October 3, 2000 from pancreatic cancer. Ocasek, of course, was the gangly singer and songwriter who helped propel The Cars to stardom. Ocasek rejected that idea outright. Who is the mother of Ben Orr Jr? Sage-Advices The members of the Cars who were not the two frontmen Greg Hawkes, Elliot Easton, and David Robinson thought that nearly two decades of a break was all the time they needed away from the band. Orr remained active with the band and had performed three shows last month in Alaska. All rights reserved. 4. This gave him a Top 40 hit with Stay The Night. Meanwhile, The Cars bought Intermedia Studios in Boston, which they rechristened Syncro Sound. Charlotte Rae 16 /16 Bassist and singer Ben Orr was born Benjamin Orzechowski on September Orr died at his Atlanta home, said Billy Johnson, manager of the musicians current band, Big People. "Every band I've ever been in had both of us." Orr and the gangling Ocasek began collaborating in an assortment of bands. Benjamin Orr died on October 3, 2000 at the age of 53. The first speaker, Chris Kamburoff, had played with Orr in Mixed Emotions, a band that preceded the Cars by several years, and he led the audience through the Our Father prayer after saying, Benjamin will live on.. Orr will be cremated this week after a private service in Atlanta. "It was easy to remember and it wasn't pegged to a specific decade or sound," Robinson said. Benjamin Orr - Illness and Death | Illness Death When I think of Ben and all that he meant to me, language is just inadequate, she said. Followed by this song, Orr had released his next solo, 'Too Hot To Stop'. "We signed with Elekra," Ric Ocasek told the Wall Street Journal. Benjamin Orr was the bassist/singer of the Cars, who had such '80s-era Top Ten Pop hits as "Drive," "Shake It Up," "You Might Think," and "Tonight She Comes." Historical Fact He said that Orr was his hot sauce partner and related how they became close friends the time they played together. Now that Im older and have interacted with a lot of people, I can see what a rare thing that is. I found him still asleep when bringing him his Sunday morning coffee. Any information you provide to us via this website may be placed by us on servers located in countries outside the EU if you do not agree to such placement, do not provide the information. Melodic Voice Singing with Feeling and Urgency. Vocalist. The lineup was completed by guitarist Elliot Easton, who had also played with Orr and Ocasek in the Boston-based Cap'n Swing. Benjamin Orr is known as one of the best popular bassists in the USA. Grasshoppers", as both the lead singer and guitarist. did Benjamin Orr die Rhino issued the two-CD set Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology in November 1995. Orr was born Benjamin Orzechowski in Cleveland, Ohio. He would have been elated to be here on this stage. His cause of death was now released. Orr sang lead on "Drive" and "Just What I Needed.". "Magic" and "Let's Go" made the Top 20. While superficially conforming to what Americans like to call "New Wave", complete with a sheen of technological hauteur and an aura of pop-art cool, the album bristled with catchy pop songs, mostly by Ocasek. All rights reserved. Orr was diagnosed with the disease in May. "This was strictly 'F*ck everything that happened before this," Ocasek told Rolling Stone at the time. "Lawyers got involved. Enjoy! Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of. I have extremely fond memories of it.. Benjamin Orr was a renowned bassist, singer, and songwriter. He was 53. ", Still, not every Car was happy. On the morning I heard Ben died, I put on a couple of Cars albums which I hadnt done in some time just to hear his voice.. actively encouraged his musical endeavors. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Benjamin Orr was 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) tall. Then the long-dormant group took the stage to perform "My Best Friend's Girl," Ocasek taking over for the late Orr on vocals and Scott Shriner of Weezer (a band Ocasek produced) filling in on bass. He apparently didn't dig the lines he'd written for this early '60s throwback tune, such as "Do the move with the quirky jerk" and "make the night cats stop and stare. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after producing a string of top hits, some of the most memorable songs of the 1980s and in rock history. And yet, in the early 2010s, it happened. ", "You Might Think" is arguably the Cars' most memorable song, and that's probably because of its unforgettable music video. Benjamin Orr, singer and bassist with new wave hitmakers the Cars, succumbed to cancer at his home in Atlanta on Tuesday night. He was 53. So, the musicians sat around and devised a list of possible band names. ", He had a tough time selling the band on that idea. On the Sunburst label, the 'Grasshoppers' had released two of their singles, 'The Mod Socks' and the Pink Champagne And The Red Roses.Benjamin was best known as a bassist and one of 'The Cars' co-founders, a famous music band based in Ohio. A management spokesperson for Ocasek spoke on behalf of the singer-guitarist, telling MTV News, "He's very devastated by the loss of a close friend. "I met the Cars and told them, 'The band's in the medicine chest, and then on a bar of soap, and Ric's a fly,' and one of them said, 'Why don't we all just play on a turd in the toilet bowl?' It was here that they recorded parts of their fourth million-seller, 1982's Shake It Up. In the late '90s, Orr began performing with Big People, which included former .38 Special guitarist Jeff Carlisi. He was born and brought up with the culture of music in his family, and everybody supported him in his music career. Parma Heights, Ohio. "Every artist I loved was on Elektra." Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Ocasek and Orr continued working together in a series of bands, leading up to the Cars' public debut on New Year's Eve in 1977. The cause was pancreatic Ocasek moved to Boston and Orr returned to Ohio. The Baltimore Sun reported that Ocasek moved from Baltimore at age 16, and his father also served in the Air Force. instruments in his teen years. The last time he had a reunion with 'The Cars' was during an interview in Atlanta, and it was recorded as 'The Car's Live.'. The last time he had a reunion with 'The Cars' was during an interview in Atlanta, and it was recorded as 'The Car's Live.' Benjamin Orr In 1970, Orr moved to Columbus, Ohio and met While remaining with 'Grasshopper', he wrote the song 'Pink Champagne And The Red Roses.' Matuska described Orr as a brother and then went to praise his geniality. This new band became the Cars. He became interested in music as a teenager, listening to Buddy Holly & the Crickets. Ocasek Has Six Children With Three Different Wives Jonathan Ocasek, Oliver Ocasek, Paulina Known locally as "Benny 11-Letters", Orr Later, the two played each other their original songs. Sapphire was once thought to guard against evil and poisoning. A tour with Blondie was cut short after Easton broke his collarbone in a tour bus accident. The band split up in 1988, and bassist Benjamin Orr died of pancreatic cancer at age 53 in 2000. Paulina also posted a photo of flowers people left outside Ocaseks townhouse. Orr and Ric Ocasek formed the seminal Boston band, which would go on to score six Top 20 albums and 13 Top 40 singles, in 1976. Ben Orr - Biography - IMDb The autopsy also noted pulmonary emphysema as a contributing factor, Daily Variety revealed. Hutton was particularly taken with "Drive," a slick, romantic soft rock ballad that represented a departure for the power pop/New Wave band. Ben grew up in Lakewood and Orr died Oct. 4, 2000, of pancreatic cancer at age 53. "I've probably written some crap lyrics," Ric Ocasek told Vanity Fair. Ben grew up in Lakewood and Thanks in advance to anybody who knows. mellow musician. Recently, Orr had toured with the band Orr, as well as The Voices of Classic Rock and Atlanta-based group Big People. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. Diane Akins, a Clevelander who was branch president of the Grasshoppers fan club, first met Orr at a concert in 1964 when the group was opening for the Beach Boys. Praised by critics for balancing cool cynicism with impeccable pop instincts, the quintet sold over 6 million copies worldwide of it's first two albums, 1978's The Cars and the 1979 follow-up Candy-O. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities . The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History He also appeared on Ocasek's solo LP This Side of Paradise and two Joni Mitchell albums: Misses and Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm. He played bass, keyboards, and percussion instruments in his teen years. WebBenjamin Orr (Massachusetts politician) Benjamin Orr (December 1, 1772 September 3, 1828) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Rock Musician Benjamin Orr Dies | AP News It was believed that a venomous snake would die if placed in a vessel Benjamin Orr Jr Subsequently he moved from Vermont to Atlanta, and joined a band of rock veterans called Big People. Almost all of them spoke of how Orr treated them as family, whether they were blood relatives or not. He was 53. After seeing the band play a gig in New York, "I suggested that Ric shift Ben Orr from singing lead vocals to playing bass and sharing lead vocals with Ric," Sartori told the Wall Street Journal. The Cars reconvened to record a new album of original material, Move Like This, which generated a moderate hit single in "Sad Song." Ben got drafted as well, but received a deferment after serving one and It must have cost a ton of money in legal fees that I wasted, the Cars wasted, for f*cking no reason." Orr had reunited with his former Cars bandmates -- Ocasek, Hawkes, Elliot Easton and David Robinson -- this past summer for an interview to be included. He played bass, keyboards, and percussion You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.