The Audio Perv

Last weekend was a very exciting weekend for the Orbison family, starting with the Walk of Fame ceremony for Roy Orbison, and capping the weekend with a night at the Grammy’s where nominee, Taylor Swift’s album, Fearless which features multiple songs from Barbara Orbison Music Company’s catalog, was awarded Grammys for Best Country Album and Album of the Year. In addition, the song, “You Belong With Me,” co-written by Swift and Liz Rose, was one of the biggest songs of 2009, and was also nominated for Song of the Year.

Roy Orbison, one of the very few artists to have been accepted by the world in all forms of popular music, and to have won Grammys in pop, rock and roll and country categories, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The ceremony took place in front of Capitol Records, where Roy’s star is next to those of his dear friend John Lennon and fellow Traveling Wilbury George Harrison. Saluting Roy’s passion for riding Harley’s, his dear friends Dan Aykroyd and Dwight Yoakam launched the event by leading a motorcycle brigade and riding right up to Roy’s wife, Barbara Orbison, and their sons Wesley, Roy Jr and Alex.

Under the warm Hollywood sun, Leron Gubler, President and CEO Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the throngs of fans, friends and media, and declared January 29 to be forever known as “Roy Orbison Day” in Hollywood. The next speaker, Dan Aykroyd, eloquently summed up the emotion of the day, “as Barbara would say, everybody loved Roy.”

T-Bone Burnett, long time friend and producer, added “With the 20th century now book ended, I can confidently say that Roy was the greatest singer of the 20th century.”

Barbara Orbison, the last to speak, spoke lovingly of her husband and the unparalleled legacy he left with the world through his music and his renown warmth of personality and spirit. With eyes soft with gratitude Barbara thanked the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and then turned her attention to the throngs of friends standing behind her, including Jeff Ayeroff, Dan Aykroyd & Donna Dixon, T-Bone Burnett, Phil Everly, Sean Garrett, Olivia Harrison, Eric and Tania Idle, Chris Isaak, Jim Keltner, David Lynch, Jeff & Camilia Lynne, Jason Mraz, Barbara Bach Starkey, Joe & Marjorie Walsh, and Dwight Yoakam saying “these are the friends who loved Roy and have continued to love us these 21 years”. Barbara then went on to say that the only thing that would make the moment better would be to have Roy standing there next to her. “But I see Roy through my friends, who all have a little piece of Roy in their hearts. Thank you for remembering Roy and for loving Roy. This is a wonderful way to celebrate his life, and this little stone star will probably be there much longer than any of us.”

For more info, go to www.royorbison.com.