Benjamin Orr (1947 - 2000)
One of the founding members of "The Cars", Benjamin died of inoperable pancreatic cancer, leaving a void that will never be replaced. He was by far my favorite member out of the 5 man outfit of "The Cars".
I always dug his sexy-cool style, smooth & distinctive vocals and killer bass riffs and always thought it a horrible shame that Ric Ocasek let the band fall apart, never to reform. A missed opportunity to say the least.
When Benjamin wasn't adding rich and deep backing vocals to all of the songs Ric Ocasek sang lead on, he sang many of the best songs in The Cars:
Ben also added incredible harmonies to the songs Ric sang lead on and was one of the best and most inspiring members of any rock/pop band of the time. After the mistake called the end of "The Cars", Benjamin went on and released one solo album called, "The Lace" which had the cool ballad, "Stay The Night" but unfortunately for all of the 90's, he never had the limelight and vocal/band opportunity he (and his fans) deserved.
There will always be a sad place in my heart for him and his untimely passing. Forever gone is the possibility of Ric, Greg, Elliot, David and Benjamin being on stage together again. It definitely gives me pause because it makes me realize how precious life is and how important it is to put aside egos, pride and and any barriers that stand in the way of being with family, friends, band members and others.
Those five guys from Boston who formed "The Cars" helped to change pop music and left a permanent stamp on the music scene, American culture and on this planet called Earth. It's a real shame they let all their talent and untapped potential crumble over time. Sadly, with Ben's passing, all those wrongs can never be made right. There's a great lesson to learn from it all.
In late 2005, I heard some amazing and also bizarre news regarding The Cars. First with the amazing news...Ric Ocasek has finished work on a documentary on The Cars complete with backstage antics, interviews, live performances and a refreshing and honest look at what the five members were all about. Also, on the bizarre side of things, the remaining other members of The Cars: Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes and drummer Robinson are reforming The Cars with Todd Rundgren filling in for Ric Ocasek. Forget about Benjamin Orr...he's already gone from this world. To have a Cars reunion without BOTH Benjamin Orr AND Ric Ocasek is not only insane but depressing as well.
"Heartbeat City" was the peak of The Cars. I still remember when the album was released. From the moment I heard "Drive", I knew it would be huge! It moved and touched me so deeply that I called up the local radio station WKQQ in Lexington, Kentucky where I grew up to request they play it. Now mind you, this was BEFORE the song was released as a single. The DJ refused to play it, even after numerous calls.
Stills from "Drive" video Fast forward a couple of months..."Drive" is released as a single on the radio and as a video on MTV and WKQQ plays the song every single day. It was beautiful and I knew it was only a matter of time!
Card game video segue fun on "The Cars" video compilation.
The last full release by The Cars was 'Door To Door' in 1987. Listening to it now in 2005, it is as fresh as ever and while it is a fitting bookend to a fantastic run, the fact that the five Bostonians never got back together is quite sad for me. Especially, since Benjamin Orr's passing. It just seems that bands take their legacy, potential and achievement for granted and turn their backs on what gave them the luxury to do so.
Who would have thought that in 2005, almost two decades since the demise of The Cars AND Benjamin Orr's only solo album 'The Lace' that I would be listening to his solo song 'When You're Gone' on my iPod as I type this. As of this writing, I have Benjamin's entire release 'The Lace' as well as The Cars' 'Door To Door', 'Just What I Needed-Anthology' and 'Heartbeat City Live'. Add to that Ric Ocasek's 'This Side of Paradise' release in the late 80s, which Benjamin appeared on, and you get an idea what Ben Orr and The Cars mean to me. Their electro rock approach rode the wave of technology and having them on my iPod in 2005 is very fitting indeed. I will always adore Benjamin Orr and the legacy he created and left behind. From all I've read, he was a great guy all the way around. Even though I never met him, he left a permanent impact on me and for that, I'm eternally grateful. Look the word "Cool" up in the dictionary and I'm sure Benjamin's picture will be there.
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