The Most Beautiful Losers

**The Most Beautiful Losers** were an American rock/ punk/ alt-country band from Canton, Ohio. The Losers were active from 2003 to 2016. They regularly toured the United States from 2006 -2012 and are reguarded as champions of the DIY, help-each other-out ethos. A typical Losers show was beer-drenched, heartbreaking fury. The Losers played a farewell show June 2016 and members have since moved on to various other projects.

## **History**

### **Early Years**

Started in April 2003 by Chris Bentley and Brad Belcher as an alt-country band in the same vein as Whiskeytown, Uncle Tupelo and Drive-By Truckers.  The idea was to write country songs that were punk influenced. The "punk" aspect quickly took a front seat. Live shows in the early days were 2 and 3 hours long with mutiple sets, almost all original material with a few covers, Neil Young's "Like a Hurricaine" and The Damned's "Neat Neat Neat". From 2003 to 2005 The Losers were a five piece consisting of Chris Bentley on vocals and guitar,  Brad Belcher on bass, Aron Rue on drums, Leslie Porter (Blanc) on vocals and Ron Strawder on lead guitar. Eric Strouble also joined on lead guitar for awhile.

In late 2005 Bentley and Belcher decided to go in a slightly more aggressive direction in the new songs as well as in regular touring out of state, and so began a regular revolving door of drummers and guitar players. The Losers recorded their first album "Playin' With Hearts" in 2006 at The Woodshed in Detroit, MI. Long-time friend of the band Tim Pak of The Salt Miners recorded and mixed the album.  Recorded entirely as three piece, the album plods along in places but showcases what would become the heart and soul of the band over the years... drinking and heartache. Todd Weekly was the drummer on the album and helped push the band forward in their momentum of regular touring. "We left Canton every weekend and headed out as far as we could and still get back for work on monday morning. There wasn't too many places to play at in Canton back then and we'd done our time as a bar band, we wanted to rock loud and hard. We only played our hometown every few months"

Through those early jaunts the band quickly made new friends in other states and cities... friendships that have lasted and endure to this day. "The main focus was to always be cool to the other bands. Always, always stay and watch them, cheer them on and drink like madmen with them. We almost always became friends with the bands we played with. It was important to us."

### **Wreckage Era**

In 2008 Bentley and Belcher met Sammy "Hooligan" Huff through then current drummer Joe Waller. Huff began as a roadie with the band, traveling throughout the south on various excursions, but after a few "lessons" became the rhythm guitar player. "Sammy just fit perfectly with us. He got what we were doing. He loved the music and he loved to travel. All he wanted to do was tour, so that became our focus. We knew Joe wasn't going to be able to tour so we changed drummers yet again." The band traveled back to Detroit to record a new album. It was to be titled Wreckage and would feature some of Bentley's best songwriting.

## **Members:**

### **Current Members:**

* Chris Bentley
* Derek Murphy
* Dave Ortman
* Jeff Hyde
* Alex Wright

### **Alumni:**

* Joe Waller - Drums (was in other bands ask him) Dis
* Bradford Belcher
* Dalin Jones
* Derek Murphy
* Sammy Huff
* Dave Zero
* Ben Kirkpatrick
* Josh Wright
* Aaron Rue
* Leslie Porter Blanc
* Ron Strawder
* Todd Weekly
* Jim Hawkins
* Jerry Eakin
* Chris Brewer
* Even Greitzer
* Adam Miller

## **Discography:**

* Playin' With Hearts (2006)
* Wreckage (2009)
* Midnight Piranha Brothers (Feb 2011)
* Sex Beat (April 2012)
* Killer Hearts (July 2012)
* Bedroomer (Aug 2012)
* Sometimes It's Messy (Nov 2012)
* When Morning Comes Twice a Day or Not at All (Jan 2015)
* Forget Me Not (June 2016)

Singles and EPs

* Wristcutter/ True Love Story 7" (2007) LMTD ISSUE of 500 clear vinyl
* Just Killer EP (2008)