Home Music Roy Orbison Day Is Friday (Growl)

It’s hard to believe but one of the greats, Roy Orbison, the man with sunglasses and the growl (see “Oh, Pretty Woman”) has been gone for 22 years. On Friday, he would have turned 74.

Luckily, Roy left behind a devoted widow and three terrific sons who keep the flame burning. They’ve got all kinds of stuff planned to commemorate the day, most of which you can check out at www.royorbison.com.

Roy’s widow, Barbara, is a force of nature. Like Olivia Harrison, Barbara just keeps on making the right moves so that the public never forgets this great icon. On Friday, for example, she’s got the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville hosting a benefit for Musicians On Call with a bunch of musicians like J.D. Souther and Rodney Crowell playing Roy’s music. Down in Texas, the Hard Rock cafes are also saluting Roy on Friday. Barbara is also releasing a new album, “Live in Las Vegas ’83,” with newly remastered performances by Roy from the Conga Room.

So light a candle for Roy Orbison on Friday. There was no one else like him, and he can’t be replaced. He was one of a kind.

Roy Orbison, \”Crying\” (Live)

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Author
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
1 reply to this post
  1. ABSOLUTELY! I have been in the enterainment business my whole life. The only time I was ever speechless in front of a star was one night I was flying to Boston from New York. Roy Orbison walked on the plane and sat across the aisle from me.

    I simply could not speak.

    The greatest voice ever in rock music. I still get chills.

    Thanks for remembering him.

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