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“The Artist,” “Descendants,” Brad Pitt Win More Awards

Roger Friedman
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“The Artist,” “Descendants,” Brad Pitt Win More Awards

Things are shaping up just as I thought they would: more kudos and awards for “The Artist” this weekend. The silent black and white film added awards from the Boston Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Online. Director Michel Hazanavicius also added Best Director nods from those groups. The San Francisco Film Critics went for Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life,” however, because, well, they’re in San Francisco and everyone’s a little woozy out there. The American Film Institute picked its 10 best films but gave “The Artist” a special award because it’s not American made (although it was made in America and about America). They also gave a foreign award to the “Harry Potter” series, which makes sense.

The Los Angeles Film Critics gave “The Descendants”  Best film, and Malick best director. That group, which is not very press friendly, now guarantees a pretty weird and empty red carpet since Malick won’t show. Neither will legend Doris Day, who’s not coming to pick up her Lifetime Achievement Award. (She doesn’t fly and doesn’t like to leave her home in Carmel, California.) They also chose a best actress no one’s ever heard of instead of giving something to Meryl Streep, Michele Williams, Viola Davis, Glenn Close or Lizzie Olsen, Tilda Swinton, or Rooney Mara. They’re so avant garde!

Remember, “The Artist” also has the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle award, too. And they have acting nods to Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, and Albert Brooks. I do wish someone would give Berenice Beho a supporting actress nod for “The Artist,” though I do think she’ll wind up with an Oscar nomination.

Washington DC critics had previously gone for “The Artist,” Martin Scorsese (director), George Clooney, and Michelle Williams.

PS No awards support so far, not even from AFI, for Stephen Daldry’s “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” And almost nothing for the David Fincher remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Only last year Fincher won every city with “The Social Network.”

American Film Institute:

Special Awards to “The Artist” and “Harry Potter” series

in alphabetical order:

Bridesmaids
The  Descendants
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
J. Edgar
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

New York Film Critics Online:

Best Picture: “The Artist”
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Best Actor: Michael Shannon, “Take Shelter”
     Runners-up: Michael Fassbender, “Shame” and Gary Oldman, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
     Runner-up: Viola Davis, “The Help”
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, “Drive”
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Best Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
Best Foreign-Language Film: “A Separation”
Best Documentary: “Cave of Forgotten Dreams”
Best Animated Feature: “The Adventures of Tintin”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”
Best Use of Music: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Bridesmaids”
Best Debut Director: Joe Cornish, “Attack the Block”
Breakthrough Performer: Jessica Chastain, “The Tree of Life,” “The Help,” “The Debt,” “Take Shelter,” “Texas Killing Fields,” “Coriolanus”

 Los Angeles Film Critics:

Best film: “The Descendants”

Best director: Terrence Malick

Best actor: Michael Fassbender, for his work in “A Dangerous Method,” “Jane Eyre,” “Shame” and “X-Men: First Class.”

Runner-Up: Michael Shannon, “Take Shelter.”

Best Actress: Yun Jung-hee, in the South Korean film “Poetry.”

Runner-up: Kirsten Dunst, “Melancholia.”

Best Documentary/Nonfiction film: “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” by Werner Herzog.

Runner-Up: “The Arbor” by Clio Barnard.

Best screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation.”

Runner-Up: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, “The Descendants.”

Best supporting actress: Jessica Chastain, who was recognized for her work in six films — “Coriolanus,” “The Debt,” “The Help,” “Take Shelter,” “Texas Killing Fields” and “The Tree of Life.”

Runner-up: Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs.”

Best supporting actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners.”

Runner-up: Patton Oswalt, “Young Adult.”

Best cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life.”

Runner-up: Cao Yu, “City of Life and Death.”

Best music/score: The Chemical Brothers, “Hanna.”

Runner-up: Cliff Martinez, “Drive.”

Best production design: Dante Ferretti, “Hugo.”

Runner-up: Maria Djurkovic, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”

Best Independent, Experimental: “Spark of Being.” Directed by Bill Morrison, it’s a re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,: using images culled from archives around the world.

San Francisco Film Critics:

Best Picture
“The Tree of Life”

Best Director
Terrence Malick for “The Tree of Life”

Best Original Screenplay
J.C. Chandor for “Margin Call”

Best Adapted Screenplay
Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best Actor
Gary Oldman for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best Actress
Tilda Swinton for “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Best Supporting Actor
Albert Brooks for “Drive”

Best Supporting Actress
Vanessa Redgrave for “Coriolanus”

Best Animated Feature
“Rango”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Certified Copy”

Best Documentary
“Tabloid”

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki for “The Tree of Life”

Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community
National Film Preservation Foundation, in recognition of for its work in the preservation and dissemination of endangered, culturally significant films

Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema
“The Mill and the Cross”

Boston Film Critics:

Best Picture: “The Artist”
     Runners-up: “Hugo” and “Margaret”
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
     Runner-up: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Best Actor: Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”
     Runners-up: George Clooney, “The Descendants” and Michael Fassbender, “Shame”
Best Actress: Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
     Runner-up: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, “Drive”
     Runner-up: Max Von Sydow, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
     Runner-up: Jeannie Berlin, “Margaret”
Best Screenplay: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, “Moneyball”
     Runner-up: Kenneth Lonergan, “Margaret”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”
     Runner-up: Robert Richardson, “Hugo”
Best Documentary: “Project Nim”
     Runner-up: “Bill Cunningham New York”
Best Foreign-Language Film: “Incendies”
     Runners-up: “A Separation” and “Poetry”
Best Animated Film: “Rango”
Best Film Editing:  Christian Marclay, “The Clock”
     Runner-up: Thelma Schoonmaker, “Hugo”
Best New Filmmaker: Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
     Runner-up: J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Carnage”
     Runner-up: “Margaret”
Best Use of Music in a Film: (tie) “Drive” and “The Artist”
     Runner-up: “The Descendants”
Special Commendations:
Ben Fowlie, Sara Archambault and Sean Flynn of DocYard
The Museum of Fine Arts for “The Clock”
The Brattle Film Foundation
Best Rediscoveries:
“The Shooting” at the Harvard Film Achive
“The Makota Sisters” at the Museum of Fine Arts
“Deep End” at the HFA
“Days and Nights in the Forest” at the HFA
“Children of Hiroshima” at the HFA

 

 

Michael Jackson’s Daughter Paris: “Hollywood” Fundraising Bait

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson’s Daughter Paris: “Hollywood” Fundraising Bait

Paris Jackson–if she wanted to be in the movies, you’d think her grandmother would take her to Steven Spielberg or someone reputable or high class in Hollywood. Instead, Paris, who’s 13, is now being exploited for a movie that has no funding, a producer with no production credits, and a cast that includes such sterling movie actors as Larry King, his wife Shawn, and Joey Fatone of NSync. The website for “Lundon’s Bridge” has already been set up with Paris’s picture prominently featured.

And there’s a FUNDRAISING button on the website–the guy, Stephen Sobisky, doesn’t actually have the money to make his three part fantasy adventure. He’s using Paris as bait. And Katherine Jackson, the ill equipped grandma, has no clue. But let’s get this straight. Sobisky is a visual effects supervisor for B movies. He has not produced or directed one major motion picture. As we’ve learned from the recent “Gotti” mess, the rest of this is hogwash. Where are the Jackson kids’ lawyer? Where is a guardian? Sobisky will now fish around the world using Paris Jackson to try and raise money. And the little girl probably thinks this is going to happen, and be a big deal. Oy vey.

And please! “Fifty percent will be donated to schools”–really, what schools? What are they talking about? Fifty percent of what? It’s a shonda, as you say in Yiddish.

PS The book this is all based on, “Lundon’s Bridge.” is such a classic it’s self published by a journeyman Hollywood bit player named Dennis Christen. It’s currently ranked around number 86,000 on amazon.com with three reviews.

Janet Jackson, call your agents!

http://www.lundons.com/fundraising.html

SEC Trouble for High Living “127 Hours” Movie and Record Producer

Roger Friedman
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SEC Trouble for High Living “127 Hours” Movie and Record Producer

There may be no more “haute living” for Philip and Lisa Marie Falcone. The New York Times reports that Falcone, a big hedge fund manager here in New York, is in major trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission. What the Times doesn’t report is that Falcone and his wife Lisa Marie had been  turning themselves into movie and pop music producers. The Falcones have four films on their resume: “127 Hours” with James Franco, “Win Win” with Paul Giamatti, “Mother and Child,” with Annette Bening and Naomi Watts, and the upcoming Reese Witherspoon film, “Mud.” Lisa Marie Falcone was featured last year in Bloomberg BusinessWeek (pictured here). She had started a firm called Everest Entertainment.

Now husband Philip’s Harbinger Fund, which is the source from which all his movie money springs, has been served with warnings of investigation by the SEC. According to the Everest website, the Falcones also seem to be underwriting a new all star album by hip hop/pop producer Swizz Beatz, who’s also the husband of Alicia Keys. The album’s title is “Haute Living.” The Falcones have also been very publicly involved in raising money and hosting big celebrity events for the High Line park, the former railroad track that runs along the lower west side that boats gardens and art installations. They’re each on the High Line’s board of directors. They made headlines by announcing a $10 million donation to the High Line. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/10-million-gift-for-high-line-project/

Harbinger has been served with a “Wells notice” by the SEC. The Times quotes the SEC report that there may be “violations of the federal securities laws’ anti-fraud provisions in connection with matters previously disclosed and an additional matter regarding the circumstances and disclosure related to agreements with certain fund investors.” Apparently there are questions about a $113 million loan to himself from a wireless project called Lightsquared. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/harbinger-and-falcone-said-to-face-u-s-inquiry/

And there have been other questions raised by Republican politicians over donations made by Falcone to their campaigns. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/falcone-under-fire-from-republicans-over-lightsquared/ A quick review shows that between 2007 and 2010, Falcone donated $107,000 to a variety of candidates in both parties who may have had some bearing on Lightsquared’s future. Some of the politicians subsequently returned the money. But most kept it. Big chunks went to the Republican National Committee of Minnesota, and to the national senate committees of both parties.

The Falcones paid $49 million for the mansion previously owned by Penthouse owner Bob Guccione. According to reports they spent around $10 million on renovations.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_39/b4196062574602.htm

photo via Bloomberg Business Week

Madonna Thinks History of Hitler, Wallis Simpson, England is Just a Rumor

Roger Friedman
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Madonna Thinks History of Hitler, Wallis Simpson, England is Just a Rumor

About twelve minutes into “W.E.,” Madonna‘s paean to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, there’s an argument whether the ex-royal couple were Nazis and-or Nazi sympathizers. “It’s based on rumor,” says the popstar/singer’s stand in character played by Abbe Cornish. Then she blabs something about empirical evidence. Apparently, sometime in the making of “W.E.” Madonna learned the word empirical. She did not learn the word fact. Madonna does what suits her based on her own ideas. Facts are just a nuisance. Her African documentary, “I Am Because We Are,” was her limited view of Malawi, the truth and facts be damned. Now she’s re-writing history so it doesn’t interfere with her screwy notions.

Here’s the story about the former King of England, who abdicated to marry Mrs. Simpson: they made a trip to Nazi Germany and met Hitler in 1937. It’s widely documented. If Madonna doesn’t want to read about this, there are pictures. The couple was not there because the Duke “was desperate to avoid war.” He had already given up his job as King, and was basically on a life long bender. Once they made the trip to Germany, King George VI–the stutterer from “The King’s Speech” — pretty much banished them to Nassau in the Bahamas. Indeed, there are numerous books and reports of the couple continuing to socialize with fascists. It’s not a rumor.

As for the rest of W.E: it’s a movie about things. Madonna, like Oprah, likes stuff. “W.E.” is like a gorgeous shopping catalog, the kind guys throw out and women consume. There’s a painstaking precision to every tea cup and hairbrush. The people look like cardboard cut outs, or models from one of Madonna’s videos. The whole film has the look of a Chanel commercial, or Elizabeth Taylor‘s White Diamonds. I think my favorite character is Ernest Simpson, Wallis’s second husband, who’s being cuckolded and knows it. The Duke, ex King Edward, makes the people on “The Bold and the Beautiful” look deep. Andrea Riseborough puts her all into Wallis Simpson, but it’s like diving into a glass of water from a great height.

And speaking of height: somehow the Duke of Windsor, who five foot seven, is now a strapping six foot three. And a bottle blond.

Why is Madonna so interested in this dreadful woman and her idiot husband? It makes no sense. She’s not an intellectual, but she has street smarts. On the other hand, like Oprah, she was raised with very little. All this splendor must seem enviable. How can Abbe Cornish’s Wally — Madonna’s present day doppelganger who’s also obsessed with Wallis Simpson–resist leaving her marriage for a Sotheby’s security guard? He has a million dollar loft in Brooklyn with a baby grand piano and leather club chairs. Of course, first she has to exit her Park Avenue mausoleum. But life is so much richer in the outer boroughs.

And where does she go, besides Brooklyn? Only a receptionist in an art gallery, Wally gets an appointment in Paris with Mohammed el Fayed to read the unpublished letters of the Duke and Duchess. She’s not a journalist or a lettered academic. She’s really just a stalker. It’s hilarious. Better still, she says in their untouched Paris suite, and tries on all their things. So this is a fable. But it looks good, even if it makes not a drop of sense.

Matt Lauer Replaced by Ryan Seacrest? How About Some Swamp Land?

Roger Friedman
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Matt Lauer Replaced by Ryan Seacrest? How About Some Swamp Land?

Matt Lauer isn’t going to be replaced by Ryan Seacrest on the “Today” show. That’s certainly the observation of a couple of insiders on the situation that was reported–er, planted–yesterday. But the plant worked, and the Seacrest story played everywhere, beautifully. Hey, I like Ryan Seacrest. He’s a fun deejay and does a fine job on “American Idol” and “Dick Clark’s Rockin New Years Eve.” But no one expects him to interview presidents and heads of state, or even vice presidents.

Let’s get real. Comcast, which owns NBC now, is trying to rattle Lauer and his agent as they begin negotiations. Lauer, I’m told, is asking for a lot more than his $12-$15 million to stay with “Today” when his contract ends next year. Seacrest, new to the Comcast family, is playing along. So be it. But that whole mishegos yesterday was to test a lot of different waters at the same time.

But here’s the reality–Lauer can certainly see what the future is if he leaves “Today.” Look at Bryant Gumbel, who lives in broadcasting ether along with Joan Lunden, David Hartman, and his old pal, Jane Pauley. So he’s going to make a deal. Plus, “Today” falls under NBC News, not entertainment. And NBC News is not going to turn over “Today” after 50 years to the host of “American Idol.” J. Fred Muggs will spin in his grave.

So please, Wall Street Journal, where’s the sense? Get it together. But Kim Kardashian to replace Ann Curry? Now, that story might have legs!

Claire Huxtable’s Kid is a Star in Broadway “Stick Fly”

Roger Friedman
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Claire Huxtable’s Kid is a Star in Broadway “Stick Fly”

I’m completely appalled by the glee the New York Post’s theater columnist takes in reporting how badly some shows are doing on Broadway. Enough with the negativity. There are so many terrific plays this season. And two of them, both directed by Kenny Leon, are by African American playwrights with almost all black actors. One, of course, is “The Mountaintop” with Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett.

The other new play opened last night. Lydia Diamond‘s comedy “Stick Fly” premiered at the Cort with five terrific actors: Ruben Santiago Hudson, Tracie Thoms, Mekhi Phifer, Dule Hill, Rosie Benton, and Condola Rashad. If the last name sounds familiar it’s because she’s the daughter of Phylicia Rashad (a great dramatic actress and Mrs. Huxtable from the Cosby Show) and sports announcer Ahmad Rashad. It’s her Broadway debut, and she’s a smash hit out of the gate.

“Stick Fly,” of course, attracted an A list crowd for its premiere, from Condola’s parents to Spike Lee and wife Tonya Lee Lewis, Taraji P. Henson, Malik Yoba, Gayle King. LaTanya Richardson (wife of Samuel L.), Alicia Keys with Swizz Beatz and her mom Terria (Alicia composed incidental music for the play and put her name on the marquee to help sell tickets) and so on.

So we have two original plays on Broadway written by young African American women. This nothing short of amazing and wonderful. And while the plays are not yet at the level of August Wilson or Eugene O’Neill, they are just fine, very entertaining, and extremely worthy of being seen. “The Mountaintop” has big stars. “Stick Fly” boasts five sensational actors all of whom bear seeing. Of course, Ruben Santiago Hudson is a James Earl Jones in the making by now. He’s quirky and and poignant as Dr. LeVay, father of a well to do black clan who’ve gathered on Martha’s Vineyard for a summer weekend of revelations. I’m already a huge fan of Tracie Thoms and Mekhi Phifer. Dule Hill comes from the show “Psych.” He and Phifer have great rapport as brothers, sons of Dr. LeVay. And Rosie Benton is surprisingly snappy as the white girl who’s wandered into the LeVay’s many dysfunctions.

But watch out for Condola Rashad. She’s yet another second generation actress on Broadway right now–just down the street from Lily Rabe in “Seminar”–who’s going to wow crowds. But go see these two plays this holiday season–and prove the negative tonguelashers wrong.

“Gotti” Movie: Ted Field Close to Deal With Summit?

Roger Friedman
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“Gotti” Movie: Ted Field Close to Deal With Summit?

Exclusive: The long-aborning “Gotti” movie — to be directed by Barry Levinson — may have a new life. I am told that new producer Ted Field, who’s come in to save Marco Fiore (aka Marc Fiore), has been negotiating distribution rights with Summit Entertainment. Summit, home to the “Twilight” series, would be a good home for “Gotti.” But Field is still a long way off from pre-production. He still has to raise the money Fiore has squandered, pay all the bills, settle with Joe Pesci on his lawsuit, and get his house in order. At this point, everyone involved with “Gotti” is skeptical. Certainly, there are still issues with Salvatore Carpanzano, the man Fiore announced was executive producer and who was supposed to supply financing. In the meantime, Levinson, stars John Travolta and Al Pacino, and screenwriter James Toback, wait on tenterhooks for Field to save the day.

Music World Mourns Dobie Gray, Howard Tate, Barbara Orbison

Roger Friedman
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Music World Mourns Dobie Gray, Howard Tate, Barbara Orbison

Two greats from the R&B and pop world died on Tuesday. Dobie Gray is probably better known for his record, “Drift Away,” than a lot of bands with more (and blander) hits. “Drift Away” is probably one of the most played records in the world. The 1973 hit just went on and on as a success. In 2003, Uncle Kracker re-recorded it, but it’s Dobie’s original version that remains the classic. A few years earlier, Dobie had another major hit with “The In Crowd.” Dobie, you’re always in the in crowd. Rest in peace.

Howard Tate, another R&B vet, extremely underrated and underappreciated, also passed away on Tuesday. His records are considered R&B classics. I’ve put “Ain’t Nobody Home” in the video player below. Check him out on YouTube, also.

I’ve also put Roy Orbison‘s duet with KD Lang on “Crying” in the fourth box on the video player. This is a tribute to Barbara Orbison, who died tragically on December 6th after a short, fierce bout with pancreatic cancer. Barbara was so devoted to keeping Roy’s flame burning after his untimely death 23 years ago at age 52. And weirdly, Barbara died on the anniversary of Roy’s death. We already miss her so much!

Oscar Last Minute Adds: Rooney Mara, Max von Sydow May Sneak In

Roger Friedman
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Oscar Last Minute Adds: Rooney Mara, Max von Sydow May Sneak In

Oscar voters–and voters for other awards like the Critics Choice Awards–pretty much know the lay of the land by now. There are front runners and obvious choices, especially if you’ve seen most of the movies that are eligible. This week, the Broadcast Critics are voting for the Critics Choice, which will be broadcast live on January 12th on VH-1. But two last minute movies, late to the game, may produce a couple of surprise nominees. They’re each produced by cantankerous Scott Rudin, by the way.

The word is very good on actress Rooney Mara, who plays the extremely wild child Lisabeth Salander in David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Mara–known mostly for being a good girl in both “Tanner Hall” and “The Social Network”–apparently explodes on the screen as the tattooed, mohawk sporting, sexy investigator who beds Daniel Craig, but also takes incredible vengeance against her rapist. I predict now that Mara will join Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Viola Davis, and Glenn Close in the top 5 actresses. By the way, she’s the sister of excellent actress Kate Mara and granddaughter of late New York Giants footbal owner Wellington Mara.

At the same time, Rudin has just started screening Stephen Daldry‘s “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” And while there are surely many fine performances, the one that’s already garnering praise is Max von Sydow as The Renter aka Thomas Schell Sr. The Swedish actor turns 83 next year. His only Oscar nomination was in 1989 for “Pelle the Conqueror.” But his resume is long and deep from Ingmar Bergman’s classics “The Wild Strawberries” and “The Seventh Seal” in the late 1950s through Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986) to “Shutter Island” (2010).

Von Sydow’s accomplishment in “Extremely Loud” would be all the more astonishing because he utters not one word in the whole movie. But as fans of “The Artist” know, silence is in this year!

Von Sydow would land in a highly competitive category. Best Supporting Actor, discounting Uggie the Dog, already boasts contenders like Jim Broadbent in “The Iron Lady,” Albert Brooks in “Drive,” Corey Stoll in “Midnight in Paris,” Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn,” Jeremy Irvine in “War Horse,” Jonah Hill in “Moneyball,” and the extremely popular Christopher Plummer in “Beginners.”

Barbara Orbison, Beloved and Dynamic Widow of Roy, Dies at 60

Roger Friedman
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1
Barbara Orbison, Beloved and Dynamic Widow of Roy, Dies at 60

Heartbreak: Barbara Orbison passed away yesterday at age 60. I cannot tell you how awful this is. Barbara was the most dynamic, loving, insanely loyal, funny, terrific friend and mother. She was a total gem. Her friends are in shock because no one knew how ill she was. Just terrible. A press release follows below. But the Barbara I knew was so devoted to Roy, to his legacy and memory, and to their kids, Roy Jr. and Alex. It’s almost two years ago that Barbara oversaw Roy’s star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Really, she deserves one, too. I will never forget her keen smile, that accent!, her determination, and wisdom. Also, she made me laugh a lot. Nine years ago, Thanksgiving 2002, Barbara, her kids, Sam Moore and his wife Joyce, my friend Irene and I, and others celebrated Thanksgiving in London with famed composer Michael Kamen and his family. Now Michael and Barbara are each gone. It’s so shocking. We had a lot of fun with the Orbisons that weekend, especially because it was “The Concert for George” celebration at Royal Albert Hall. Roy and George Harrison and their families had all become very close through The Traveling Wilburys. Now, Barbara’s death comes as so tragic. And she died on the 23rd anniversary of Roy’s death. Barbara had worked tirelessly to keep Roy’s music alive, putting out new albums, getting songs into movies, establishing a publishing company. and creating a museum in Nashville. I’m told that her endless efforts to get a U.S. postage stamp in Roy’s memory have paid off, and the stamp will be issued next year. Barbara, today, we’re crying. Over you.

Barbara Orbison, Widow of Rock Legend Roy Orbison, Dies of Pancreatic Cancer. Her Death Falls on 23rd Anniversary of Roy Orbison’s Death

Los Angeles, CA — December 6, 2011: Barbara Orbison, widow of Rock and Roll legend, Roy Orbison, passed away today after a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. She was 60 years old. Barbara was diagnosed with the disease on April 20, 2011 at the Mayo Clinic. In May of 2011, she was admitted to USC Medical Center in Los Angeles under the supervision of Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, Associate Director of the USC/Norris Gastrointestinal Oncology Program. On May 13, Barbara underwent the Whipple surgical procedure, performed by Dr. Yuri Genyk. Following her surgery and chemotherapy, Barbara was optimistic about her recovery, but complications from the cancer ultimately resulted in a final re-admittance to USC Medical Center in mid-November. She died peacefully there today with her sons, Roy Kelton Orbison, Jr. (41) and Alexander Orbison (36) by her side.

Ironically, Barbara was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just days before Roy Orbison’s landmark 75th birthday (April 23rd). Roy and Barbara Orbison had a devoted and enduring love affair, ultimately passing away on the same day, 23 years apart.

For more than two decades Barbara has managed the music empire she built as Roy Orbison’s manager, keeping his legacy alive. Most recently, Barbara was exceedingly proud of the acclaimed box set she produced with Roy Kelton Orbison, Jr, titled “Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll” (Sony Legacy 2008). This 4-CD package marked the first all-inclusive body of Roy’s work from his earliest recordings to the Traveling Wilbury’s debut album, “Mystery Girl” (Virgin) and his last live performance. Throughout this time period, Barbara also became a respected businesswoman in her own right, developing a diverse music industry empire in Nashville, Tennessee. Barbara’s Still Working Music publishing company has consistently represented some of the industry’s most successful songwriters and was recently awarded BMI’S 2010 Song of the Year for Taylor Swift’s “You Belong to Me.”

In 2009, Barbara was able to fulfill a lifelong dream with the creation of her own fragrance, Pretty Woman Perfume. She was intimately involved with every step of the development from the blend of scents and the classic design of the bottle to the international marketing sales and promotion of the perfume.

Born Barbara Anne Marie Wellhöner Jakobs in Bielefeld, Germany, Barbara was just 17 when she met Roy Orbison (32) at a nightclub in Leeds, England in 1968. Despite the “British Invasion,” American rocker, Orbison, was topping the charts in the UK as well as the U.S. with such smash hits as “Pretty Woman,” “Running Scared,” and “Crying.” Roy and Barbara married a year later in Henderson, Tennessee. They raised their three sons in Nashville and Malibu, California.

Barbara Orbison will be buried next to her husband at Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Following a private graveside service, the family will announce plans for a Celebration of Life reception at the BMI offices in Nashville, Tennessee. Donations in Barbara Orbison’s memory can be made to the Roy Orbison Foundation, c/o Leeann Hard, Forté Management, 725 Arizona Ave., Ste 206, Los Angeles, CA 90401, 310-394-5020, x102, leeann@forte.com).

The family requests that messages be sent to: barbara.orbison@orbison.com

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