Beverly, MA – On Saturday, June 22 at Beverly’s 9 Wallis Club, Vermont author Joe Milliken and The Cars tribute band Moving In Stereo will co-host a book release party and concert to celebrate the release of Let’s Go! Benjamin Orr and The Cars. Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, the biography tells the story of the co-founder, co-lead singer, and bassist of the platinum-selling, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band The Cars. The event moderator is to be announced.
Born Benjamin Orzechowski and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Orr was a teen star on the nationally syndicated Cleveland television show Upbeat. Nearly a decade later he would emerge as the co-founder of The Cars, the Boston-based band who broke onto the music scene in 1978 while packing local venues such as The Rat, Boston Music Hall, and The Paradise Club. Over the next decade, The Cars would launch their own Boston recording studio, Syncro Sound, and would go on to sell over 30 million albums worldwide, resulting in 15 “Top 40” hits during their illustrious career.
Often considered the band’s heartthrob, Benjamin Orr possessed an iconic voice, diverse musical talent and rare stage presence, all balanced by a magnetic yet enigmatic personality, striking good looks, and a relentless determination to reach rock stardom. This first-ever biography about Orr spans 11 years in the making, as Milliken draws together interviews with over 120 family members, friends, bandmates, and music associates from Orr’s life, as well as many unpublished and never before seen photos from private collections, to reveal an intimate portrait of one of classic rock’s great talents.
Originally from Boston and now residing in Vermont, Joe Milliken is a music journalist, author, editor and website publisher of 20 years. A die-hard music fan with a degree in visual arts, Milliken launched Standing Room Only, a website dedicated to music and the arts, in 2014. Let’s Go! is Joe’s first book.
Beginning at 8:00 p.m., the ticketed event (reserved seats $20., $25.) will feature a moderated discussion with the author, a special slide show presentation and book signing, followed by a concert featuring the Cleveland-based Moving In Stereo. Books can be ordered in advance at www.benorrbook.com. Reserved tickets start at $20 and can be purchased at gimmelive.com. For additional information, please email the author at benorrbook@gmail.com.