Ben Kerr

2025-10-21T01:31:44Z

2607:FEA8:23A4:9300:7C61:E945:411A:BA1E:

{{Short description|Canadian musician}}
{{Infobox person
|birth_date= April 27, 1930
|birth_place=[[Yarmouth, Nova Scotia]], Canada
|death_place=[[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada
|death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|2005|6|17|1930|4|27}}
|occupation=musician
}}
'''Ben Kerr''' (April 27, 1930 – June 17, 2005) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] author, broadcaster, musician and [[perennial candidate]], who was most famous as one of [[Toronto]], Ontario's quirky street performers.

==Background==
Kerr was born April 27, 1930 in [[Yarmouth, Nova Scotia]] to Benjamin Kerr, a professional golfer, and Mildred Audrey Torrance, a stenographer, and spent fifteen years in the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] before settling in Toronto. In the 1960s, Kerr frequently played guitar in [[folk music|folk]] clubs in Toronto's [[Yorkville, Toronto|Yorkville]] district working alongside groups such as [[Steppenwolf (band)|Steppenwolf]], [[the Mynah Birds]], [[Rick James]], [[Gordon Lightfoot]] and [[Joni Mitchell]], and wrote songs for the then unknown [[Neil Young]].

In 1969, he had a life changing experience when he gave up his three pack a day smoking habit and started taking a daily [[cayenne pepper]] cocktail. He credited the concoction with turning his health around and saving his life.<ref name="GMprofile">{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Oliver |title=Ben Kerr |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ben-kerr/article982673/ |website=The Globe and Mail |date=25 June 2005 |accessdate=2 November 2020}}</ref> He later wrote the book "The Cayenne Pepper Does it All" to document this experience.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kerr |first=Ben |title=The Cayenne Pepper Does It All |publisher=Victory Enterprises Publications |year=1998 |isbn=9780967022505}}</ref>

Kerr was considered a "major promoter for Canadian Country Music artists"<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Brent |title=Levi Brenton Williams: Before and After Notoriety |publisher=Writers' Republic |year=2022 |isbn=9798885364188}}</ref> by the 1970's. In 1971, Kerr wrote "Parliament Hill"<ref>{{Citation |title=Angus Walker - Don't Wake The Sleeping Lion / Parliament Hill |date=May 1971 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3114194-Angus-Walker-Dont-Wake-The-Sleeping-Lion-Parliament-Hill |language=en |access-date=2022-10-29}}</ref> for [[Angus Walker]] who he was promoting at the time. "Parliament Hill" peaked at number 18 on RPM Country 50 rankings.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 4, 1971 |title=RPM Country 50 |work=RPM Magazine |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=9326& |access-date=October 29, 2022}}</ref> On June 3, 1973, a group of twelve entertainers and promoters met at [[Horseshoe Tavern|The Horseshoe Tavern]], in Toronto, Ontario at formed the original board of directors for the [[Canadian Country Music Association]].<ref name=":0" /> This group included [[Levi Brenton Williams|Brent Williams]], notable country and bluegrass entertainer, Jury Krytiuk, president of [[Boot Records]], Bod Dalton, a promotor, Sean Eyre, DJ Lindsay, radio personality Harold Moon who worked for BMI Records, Jack Starr of [[Horseshoe Tavern|The Horseshoe Tavern]], Barry Haugen of [[RCA Records]], Vic Folliott of Brantford Radio, Mary Butterill of CAPAC Publishing and Kerr.<ref name=":0" /> Kerr released "Shoes Keep on Walking" in the fall of 1973 and peaked at number 82 on [[RPM (magazine)|RPM Magazine]]'s ranking of country music songs.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 22, 1973 |title=RPM Top 100 Country Songs |work=RPM Magazine |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=3139& |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>

For a time, Kerr was an executive at the Toronto Harbour Commission. A fervent anti-[[Tobacco smoking|smoking]] crusader, he quit the job in a rage in 1981 when a co-worker blew smoke in his face. He wrote a song, "Fire on One End, a Fool on the Other", about the incident.<ref name="blogTO">{{cite web |last1=Conroy |first1=Ed |title=That time when Ben Kerr was the king of Toronto buskers |url=https://www.blogto.com/city/2017/11/time-when-ben-kerr-king-toronto-buskers/ |website=www.blogto.com |language=en}}</ref> This inspired him to run from Toronto to Los Angeles to promote a smoking ban in offices. The run took him six months. Also in 1981, Kerr released "Distilled Water", a song that peaked at number 27 on RPM Magazine's top 30 Canadian content list<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 14, 1981 |title=RPM Country Cancon Singles |work=RPM Magazine |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=6077& |access-date=October 29, 2022}}</ref> and number 64 on RPM Magazine's Top 75 Country Singles<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 9, 1981 |title=RPM Magazine Top 75 Country Singles |work=RPM Magazine |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=9386&}}</ref> He was also in the 1982 Trees [[music video]] "Shock of the New", appearing as a guy with an [[oxygen mask]] and a shirt promoting clean air in offices.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trees - Shock of the New (1982)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je1Z5Hw0gEM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/je1Z5Hw0gEM |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|website=YouTube|accessdate=3 November 2017|date=2 November 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1987, he played a dead man in the basement of [[Casa Loma]] in [[:sh:B. D. Benedikt|B.D. Benedikt]]'s ''Beyond the 7th Door''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beyond the 7th Door |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0321432/ |website=IMDB |accessdate=13 September 2018}}</ref>

==Post-retirement==
Kerr supported himself as a [[busking|busker]] for the remainder of his life, singing with a [[karaoke]] machine in front of the [[Hudson's Bay (retailer)|Hudson's Bay]] department store at the corner of [[Yonge Street|Yonge]] and [[Bloor Street|Bloor]] streets.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Topping |first1=David |title=Post No Bens |url=https://torontoist.com/2009/02/ben_kerr_back_at_yonge_and_bloor/ |website=Torontoist |accessdate=2 November 2020 |date=25 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Yee-Guan |title=The big 'if' |url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=146207&archive=24,27,2005 |website=NOW Magazine |accessdate=2 November 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023155409/https://nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=146207&archive=24,27,2005 |archivedate=23 October 2012 |date=3 March 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He was often voted "favourite street performer" in ''[[Now (newspaper)|Now Magazine]]'''s annual Toronto survey,<ref name="GMprofile"/> and it is rumoured that Kerr was once offered a recording contract with [[Sub Pop Records]]. He continued to appear frequently on radio and television as an advocate for the health benefits of cayenne pepper, and was the author of ''The Cayenne Pepper Cocktail Does it All''.

As well, he was a [[perennial candidate|perennial fringe candidate]] who ran in every [[Mayor of Toronto|Toronto mayoral]] election from 1985 until 2003, the last municipal election held before his death.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Kerr Lane: Street Names |url=https://www.thestar.com/life/2013/10/18/liexplorestreetbenkerrlane.html |website=thestar.com |accessdate=2 November 2020 |language=en |date=18 October 2013}}</ref> In 1997, he placed fourth behind [[Mel Lastman]], [[Barbara Hall (politician)|Barbara Hall]] and [[Don Andrews]]. In the [[2000 Toronto municipal election|2000 election]], he ran on a platform of [[Toronto waterfront|waterfront renewal]], backed by the self-penned campaign song "Fringe Candidate".

Ben Kerr died on June 17, 2005, at his home on Jones Avenue in Toronto, at the age of 75. In 2007, [[Toronto City Council]] approved a motion to name a laneway near the corner of [[Danforth Avenue|Danforth]] and Jones in Kerr's honour.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=https://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20070913.TORBRIEFS13-3%2FTPStory%2FTPNational%2FOntario%2F&ord=248618&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true "Laneway is named in honour of candidate"], ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', September 13, 2007.</ref> Ben Kerr Lane was officially named on May 25, 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Kerr Laneway forever marks a local man's life |url=https://www.toronto.com/news-story/21885-ben-kerr-laneway-forever-marks-a-local-man-s-life/ |website=Toronto.com |accessdate=2 November 2020 |language=en-CA |date=29 May 2008}}</ref>

==Discography==

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Single
! width="45"| <small>CAN Country</small>
|-
| 1973
| "Shoes Keep on Walking"
| align="center"| 82
|-
| 1981
| "Distilled Water"
| align="center"| 64
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.discogs.com/artist/3336013-Ben-Kerr Ben Kerr Discography] at [https://www.discogs.com/ Discogs]{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, Ben}}
[[Category:Ontario municipal politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male singers]]
[[Category:Canadian country singers]]
[[Category:Canadian buskers]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:People from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Singers from Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Royal Canadian Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:Singers from Toronto]]
[[Category:Canadian health and wellness writers]]

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Ben Kerr