[3] Both were devout Byzantine Rite Catholics[4] and Ben's mother would not allow him to drive his first car until the local clergy had blessed it.

[6] In 1965, the Grasshoppers released two singles on the Sunburst label: "Mod Socks" and "Pink Champagne (and Red Roses)", the latter written by Orzechowski.

[12] A few years later, Orr moved to Columbus, 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 around Ohio State University.

[12] In the early 1970s, after moving to Boston, Massachusetts, the two musicians formed the folk trio Milkwood with guitarist Jim Goodkind.

[13] Remaining in Boston, the duo Ocasek and Orr then formed another band, Richard and the Rabbits, featuring keyboardist Greg Hawkes.

The additional band members included guitarist Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, Todd Roberto, Danny (Schliftman) Louis, and Glenn Evans.

[15] After the group broke up in 1976, Orr, Ocasek, Hawkes, Easton and drummer David Robinson formed the 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 provided backing vocals for "Number One" and "The Beat of Black Wings" for Mitchell's 1988 album Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm.

[19] In the mid-1990s, Orr recorded tracks with guitarist John Kalishes for an unreleased follow-up album to The Lace, including a rendition of Stan Meissner's "River of Fire".

[30] The Cars reunited ten years after Orr's death and released their seventh studio album, Move Like This, in May 2011.