Ben Hamper
Encyclopedia
Bernard Egan "Ben" Hamper (born c. 1956) is a Michigan
-based writer. He was born in Flint
, Michigan
from a Catholic family that had many former employees of General Motors amongst its members. Hamper also worked for General Motors in Michigan for several years and wrote for Michael Moore
's Flint Voice. He has also worked as a correspondent on several of Moore's television projects.
Ben also hosted and wrote comedy for Take No Prisoners TV show in Flint. This program aired on local community access and documented the Flint underground music scene from 1989 to 1998.
In 2006, Hamper launched a new radio show, Soul Possession, on community radio station WNMC-FM in Traverse City, Michigan
. The show focuses on his extensive collection of obscure soul and funk records and can be heard Friday evenings between 9 and 11 pm ET via the station's audio stream. In 2010, Hamper launched another radio show, Head For The Hills, also on WNMC, focusing on his obscure collection of classic and obscure Country records and can me heard Sundays between 10AM and 12PM ET.
His memoir, Rivethead: Tales From the Assembly Line (ISBN 0-446-51501-9), published in 1991, is an autobiographical account of his life in Flint and subsequent employment on the General Motors assembly line
between 1977 and 1988.
. In fact Hamper was at Moore's side for most of Moore's career from his very early days to his TV shows in the mid 1990s.
Hamper first began writing articles for the Flint Voice. In fact, on the day Moore and Hamper were to meet to discuss Hamper's writing for the Flint Voice, Harry Chapin
— a long time benefactor for the paper — was killed in a car accident. Hamper turned around and went home. He did however end up with a writing assignment and rather quickly became a local celebrity who wrote scathing true stories of life on the assembly line. He was kept on when the Flint Voice became the state-wide Michigan Voice where he was again one of the more popular writers. When Moore left for Mother Jones
in 1986, he brought Hamper over with him and put him on the cover. Moore was fired shortly after. Hamper was asked to keep writing for Mother Jones, but out of loyalty chose not to continue {Rivethead: Tales from the Assembly Line, pg 220}.
When production of Moore's documentary film Roger & Me
began in early February 1987, Moore asked Hamper to recall one of his infamous panic attacks stemming from his work at the GM Truck & Bus plant on Van Slyke Road.
After Roger & Me, Hamper's book Rivethead became a national bestseller. He then appeared on the cover of The Wall Street Journal
and was interviewed by NBC
and CBS
for various news shows.
Matt Dillon
was tapped to star in the film adaption of Rivethead, with Richard Linklater
writing and directing, but the project did not move beyond early stages of development.
In 1995, Hamper had a memorable cameo appearance
in Michael Moore's film Canadian Bacon
and was later tapped as a correspondent for both TV Nation
and The Awful Truth
documentary television shows. These were the last official associations with Moore, but the two remain good friends to this day.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
-based writer. He was born in Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
from a Catholic family that had many former employees of General Motors amongst its members. Hamper also worked for General Motors in Michigan for several years and wrote for Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
's Flint Voice. He has also worked as a correspondent on several of Moore's television projects.
Ben also hosted and wrote comedy for Take No Prisoners TV show in Flint. This program aired on local community access and documented the Flint underground music scene from 1989 to 1998.
In 2006, Hamper launched a new radio show, Soul Possession, on community radio station WNMC-FM in Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
. The show focuses on his extensive collection of obscure soul and funk records and can be heard Friday evenings between 9 and 11 pm ET via the station's audio stream. In 2010, Hamper launched another radio show, Head For The Hills, also on WNMC, focusing on his obscure collection of classic and obscure Country records and can me heard Sundays between 10AM and 12PM ET.
His memoir, Rivethead: Tales From the Assembly Line (ISBN 0-446-51501-9), published in 1991, is an autobiographical account of his life in Flint and subsequent employment on the General Motors assembly line
Assembly line
An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
between 1977 and 1988.
Television and film
Hamper has appeared in a number of high profile TV and film roles, most notably in association with Michael MooreMichael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
. In fact Hamper was at Moore's side for most of Moore's career from his very early days to his TV shows in the mid 1990s.
Hamper first began writing articles for the Flint Voice. In fact, on the day Moore and Hamper were to meet to discuss Hamper's writing for the Flint Voice, Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin
Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the...
— a long time benefactor for the paper — was killed in a car accident. Hamper turned around and went home. He did however end up with a writing assignment and rather quickly became a local celebrity who wrote scathing true stories of life on the assembly line. He was kept on when the Flint Voice became the state-wide Michigan Voice where he was again one of the more popular writers. When Moore left for Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
in 1986, he brought Hamper over with him and put him on the cover. Moore was fired shortly after. Hamper was asked to keep writing for Mother Jones, but out of loyalty chose not to continue {Rivethead: Tales from the Assembly Line, pg 220}.
When production of Moore's documentary film Roger & Me
Roger & Me
Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically...
began in early February 1987, Moore asked Hamper to recall one of his infamous panic attacks stemming from his work at the GM Truck & Bus plant on Van Slyke Road.
After Roger & Me, Hamper's book Rivethead became a national bestseller. He then appeared on the cover of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
and was interviewed by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
for various news shows.
Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
was tapped to star in the film adaption of Rivethead, with Richard Linklater
Richard Linklater
-Early life:Linklater was born in Houston, Texas. He studied at Sam Houston State University and left midway through his stint in college to work on an off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. While working on the rig he read a lot of literature, but on land he developed a love of film through...
writing and directing, but the project did not move beyond early stages of development.
In 1995, Hamper had a memorable cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in Michael Moore's film Canadian Bacon
Canadian Bacon (film)
Canadian Bacon is a 1995 comedy film which satirizes Canada – United States relations along the Canada – United States border written, directed and produced by Michael Moore, his only non-documentary feature...
and was later tapped as a correspondent for both TV Nation
TV Nation
Production on the pilot episode of TV Nation began in January 1993. Moore initially turned to friends and colleagues in many production areas, while also making a point to ensure the show's employees were unionized. For the show's title sequence, graphic designer Chris Harvey put together the...
and The Awful Truth
The Awful Truth
The Awful Truth is a 1937 screwball comedy film starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. The plot concerns the machinations of a soon-to-be-divorced couple, played by Dunne and Grant, who go to great lengths to try to ruin each other's romantic escapades...
documentary television shows. These were the last official associations with Moore, but the two remain good friends to this day.