Benjamin Kowalewicz

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Benjamin Kowalewicz
Benjamin Kowalewicz live at Cardiff University Students' Union, August 8 2006.
Background information
Born	December 16, 1975 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genre(s)	Alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Associated acts	Billy Talent

Benjamin Kowalewicz (born December 16, 1975, in Montreal, of Polish descent) is the lead singer of the Canadian alternative rock group Billy Talent. He is married to Claire Lee.

He was raised in Streetsville, Ontario, but the post-punk singer now lives in downtown Toronto. He attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School, where he was originally a drummer in a band called "To Each His Own". Billy Talent bandmate Jonathan Gallant was also part of the band. Ben was moved to vocals when they recruited the third BT member, Aaron Solowoniuk, in his place. The three would go on to merge with another band, meeting the final member Ian D'Sa they formed a band called Pezz and released their first album Watoosh in 1998.^[1].

When the band was threatened with a lawsuit from another band also using the name Pezz, it was Kowalewicz suggested the name Billy Talent, taken from a character of Michael Turner's Hard Core Logo movie based on the book. The rest of the band agreed and Billy Talent was born.^{[citation needed]} In this time, Kowalewicz worked in a number of positions at Toronto radio station 102.1 the Edge, where he would also run errands such as getting coffee for The Ongoing History of New Music host Alan Cross to contribute funds towards Billy Talent's eponymous album.^[1]He also is a vegetarian and believes in ghosts.

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b} The Ongoing History of New Music. "Before They Were Famous" Original Broadcast date: 13-11-05 on CFNY.

Billy Talent
Benjamin Kowalewicz | Ian D'Sa | Jonathan Gallant | Aaron Solowoniuk
Discography
EPs: Demoluca | Dudebox | Try Honesty EP
Studio Albums: Watoosh! | Billy Talent | Billy Talent II
Live Albums: Live From The UK Sept./2006
Singles
"Try Honesty" | "The Ex" | "River Below" | "Nothing to Lose" | "Devil in a Midnight Mass" | "Red Flag" | "Fallen Leaves" | "Surrender" | "This Suffering"
Videography
Scandalous Travelers
Label(s)
Atlantic Records | Warner Music Canada
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