New Benjamin Orr Biography Due This Fall

Eighteen years after his passing, The Cars bassist and vocalist Benjamin Orr will be the focus of a new biography. Let’s Go! Benjamin Orr and The Cars by Joe Milliken details the life and times of the rock star. The author spent a decade working on the book.

“There is an interesting aspect about Ben Orr’s early life that many Cars and music fans do not realize,” the book’s Facebook page writes. “Prior to becoming a world-famous rock star with The Cars, Orr was, from the age of sixteen, a local star in Cleveland as a house-band musician for the nationally syndicated television music show Upbeat. A few years later, and after having been drafted during Vietnam, Ben met his musical partner and future Cars’ bandleader, Richard Otcasek (aka Ric Ocasek), and the duo began their long journey to fame, logging many miles and locations in search of success.”

Orr recorded six albums with The Cars and sang on several of their hit songs including “Just What I Needed,” “Let’s Go,” and “Drive.” He pursued a solo career after the band broke up in 1988. He was playing in his own band ORR as well as The Voices of Classic Rock and Big People until he died in 2000 from pancreatic cancer. Orr will join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with The Cars at the 2018 Induction Ceremony on April 14th.

Let’s Go will include interviews with more than 100 of the bassist’s family members, friends, bandmates, and music associates. It is due to be published in November.