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Orbison May Get Stamp Of Approval
By Billy Kennedy
Friday 6th January 2006
Music and movie stars are backing a campaign to persuade the United States Post Office to issue a commemorative stamp in memory of the late Roy Orbison on the occasion of his 70th birthday on April 23 next.
Barbara Orbison, Roy's wife, is spearheading the campaign and joining her in the effort is Olivia Harrison, whose Beatle husband George teamed up with Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in the much-acclaimed Traveling Wilburys group in the 1980s.
Roy, once described by the late Elvis Presley as the greatest singer he had ever heard, died on December 6, 1988, aged only 52.
With his extraordinary quavering, highoctave operatic voice and melodramatic narratives of love and yearning, Roy was a unique performer - with classic hits Only The Lonely, In Dreams, Dream Baby, Running Scared, Crying, Blue Angel, Blue Bayou, Pretty Paper, It's Over and Oh Pretty Woman.
Many of Roy's songs were selfpenned - he was a masterful musician, an all-time great! Between 1960 and 1965, Roy had 15 Top 40 hits in the American and British popular music charts.
The commemorative stamp campaign is also being backed by Nashville country star Dwight Yoakam, Bono of U2, Dan Ackroyd of Blues Brothers fame and movie personality Pamela Anderson. Indeed, Dwight Yoakam wrote a letter to the US Postmaster General, stating: "I respectfully request the consideration of issuing a commemorative stamp in honor of legendary popular music artiste Roy Orbison. "Roy is deserving of an honorary postal stamp and I hope we can count on your support. Roy lived a good life - he loved his family, loved his music, loved his fans and most of all Roy loved his country." Yoakam lists John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen as among the many musicians influenced by Roy Orbison's music. He took part in a number of international tours with the Beatles in the 1960s.
Roy Orbison, a downhome lad from Vernon in Texas, shared the same country rockabilly roots as Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash and his other peers in the 1950s and 1960s were Del Shannon and Gene Pitney.
He toured Ireland in the early 1960s and I vividly remember hearing him at a dance in Newry Town Hall then, where, standing motionless on stage with his dark glasses and sleek black hair, he regaled a captivated audience of 1,000-plus with the songs which made him such a global icon in music.
Roy did not have a lot of charisma or the photogenic looks of Elvis, but he was a singer with great mystique and had a voice that was unequalled in the popular music of the fifties, sixties and seventies.
It was said Roy wore the dark glasses because of his Albino facial features A decision on an Orbison commemorative stamp is expected shortly and, with the support of Tennessee senators Lamar Alexander and Bill Frist, the campaign is gaining impetus on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
The US Post Office tribute is not without precedent - commemorative stamps have been issued for Elvis Presley and Hank Williams.
b.kennedy@...
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/story/25342
By Billy Kennedy
Friday 6th January 2006
Music and movie stars are backing a campaign to persuade the United States Post Office to issue a commemorative stamp in memory of the late Roy Orbison on the occasion of his 70th birthday on April 23 next.
Barbara Orbison, Roy's wife, is spearheading the campaign and joining her in the effort is Olivia Harrison, whose Beatle husband George teamed up with Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in the much-acclaimed Traveling Wilburys group in the 1980s.
Roy, once described by the late Elvis Presley as the greatest singer he had ever heard, died on December 6, 1988, aged only 52.
With his extraordinary quavering, highoctave operatic voice and melodramatic narratives of love and yearning, Roy was a unique performer - with classic hits Only The Lonely, In Dreams, Dream Baby, Running Scared, Crying, Blue Angel, Blue Bayou, Pretty Paper, It's Over and Oh Pretty Woman.
Many of Roy's songs were selfpenned - he was a masterful musician, an all-time great! Between 1960 and 1965, Roy had 15 Top 40 hits in the American and British popular music charts.
The commemorative stamp campaign is also being backed by Nashville country star Dwight Yoakam, Bono of U2, Dan Ackroyd of Blues Brothers fame and movie personality Pamela Anderson. Indeed, Dwight Yoakam wrote a letter to the US Postmaster General, stating: "I respectfully request the consideration of issuing a commemorative stamp in honor of legendary popular music artiste Roy Orbison. "Roy is deserving of an honorary postal stamp and I hope we can count on your support. Roy lived a good life - he loved his family, loved his music, loved his fans and most of all Roy loved his country." Yoakam lists John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen as among the many musicians influenced by Roy Orbison's music. He took part in a number of international tours with the Beatles in the 1960s.
Roy Orbison, a downhome lad from Vernon in Texas, shared the same country rockabilly roots as Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash and his other peers in the 1950s and 1960s were Del Shannon and Gene Pitney.
He toured Ireland in the early 1960s and I vividly remember hearing him at a dance in Newry Town Hall then, where, standing motionless on stage with his dark glasses and sleek black hair, he regaled a captivated audience of 1,000-plus with the songs which made him such a global icon in music.
Roy did not have a lot of charisma or the photogenic looks of Elvis, but he was a singer with great mystique and had a voice that was unequalled in the popular music of the fifties, sixties and seventies.
It was said Roy wore the dark glasses because of his Albino facial features A decision on an Orbison commemorative stamp is expected shortly and, with the support of Tennessee senators Lamar Alexander and Bill Frist, the campaign is gaining impetus on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
The US Post Office tribute is not without precedent - commemorative stamps have been issued for Elvis Presley and Hank Williams.
b.kennedy@...
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/story/25342
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