In Memory of John Kalishes of the Ben Orr Group

The majority of this article from information Lisa got from this editor, Joe Viglione.

IN MEMORY OF JOHN

by Lisa Ralphs

October 19, 2009 

 

 

Guitarist John Kalishes passed away on January 9, 2004. It was a shock to those of us who found life at The Rathskellar in Kenmore Square such an important part of our reality. Many of the 70s scenesters got to meet John when he was a member of SUSAN, the band which featured the Leland brothers' rhythm section flanked by guitarists John Kalishes and Tom Dickie. When the band signed to RCA they didn't bring John with them - and that was a mistake. His crushing leads were an essential part of their sound, as evidenced by his presence on the LIVE AT THE RAT album. None of the power found on "Ride Away", one of their two tracks on that live double lp, is found on their "Falling In Love Again" 1979 release. Without the band "Susan" John Kalishes continued his efforts, jamming with the legendary U.F.O., making tapes with Riser and Foreign Legion, eventually joining the late Ben Orr of The Cars for a phenomenal stretch of gigs, a few preserved on videotape. Full House Recording issued a Riser CD "Resurrection" in 2000 and local singer/songwriter Paul Hultman interviewed John for a cable television program while at the record release party for "Resurrection". 

Sandy Higgins, moderator of Charlie Farren's Yahoogroup, had these memories of John: "I only had the pleasure of meeting John Kalishes once or twice. I never really got to know him all that well. However, my neighbor across the street from me, Tommy Fey, knew him very well & played in several bands with him over the years. Tommy came across the street several years ago to ask me if I wouldn't mind letting John use my 100W Marshall head to take on tour with the Ben Orr Band overseas. I told him I had no problem with that. John seemed very trustworthy, and I wasn't using it at the time...so, why not? When John came back to the states, so did my Marshall - in perfect condition. Only thing was, he had to cut the power cord due to the different plugs over in Japan - but he did splice & tape it back together!" One of John's great strengths along with songwriting and furious guitar leads was record production. He captured the essence of the garage musician's triumph in something called "I'm Still Standing". Charlie Farren sings the lead vocal on this track co-written with his friend Adrian Medeiros. 

 

Adrian and John also worked with Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau and Cars members Greg Hawkes and Ben Orr on a fantastic song called "Send Me". His brother Vin Kalishes sent an official message from the family: "John Kalishes, one of the moving forces of the Boston Rock & Roll scene since the late '60s, died unexpectedly on January 9, 2004 following a brief illness. Born in 1950 in Dorchester, a neighborhood of the city of Boston, John began studying the guitar while in third grade, immediately showing his great potential. At age 15 Kalishes formed his first band, the Rhymney Blues, which played "the high school dance scene." 

 

John Kalishes was a graduate of Catholic Memorial High School and The University Of Massachusetts at Boston. 

 

In the 1970s and 1980s Kalishes worked as the booking agent for "The Rat" in Kenmore Square and "The Bellboy" in Scituate Harbor in addition to writing music, engineering and performing. His bands included "Susan" then "Foreign Legion" and in later years, "Riser". 

 

Over the years he recorded with some of the best known artists in rock & roll music, on occasion using the alias of "Mississippi Blind Driveway." (John may have worked with Toy Caldwell as well as a member or two of "The Band" - Lisa). In recent years John was affiliated with the late Ben Orr of The Cars, Ben and John co-writing a number of songs. While touring as ORR, playing coast to coast, John was Orr's guitar player and band-leader. In 2002 and 2003 John worked on his solo album, Mirage, after building his own state of the art facility, "Black Hole Studios." Mirage was released two months before his passing. His wife, Judith Wilson, passed away a few years after John's passing.

In an unplanned career move John began co-composing and producing television and movie soundtracks with his dear friend Jon Butcher. 

 

John is survived by his brother Vincent J. Kalishes III, and his nephew Vincent J. Kalishes IV.

John requested that he be remembered by making a donation in his name to his nephew's school "The Perkins School for The Blind" located at 175 North Beacon St., Watertown, MA 02172.