Eighty-five years ago, legendary singer/songwriter Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, TX. Orbison's personal tragedies and struggles often informed his singing and songwriting, which has been described accurately as "operatic." That certainly can be said of such magnificent hits as 1960's "Blue Angel" and 1961's "Crying" and "Running Scared." Today, we've picked one of our favorites of his, "In Dreams" (1963), in which Orbison never repeats a section, going through seven movements with completely unique melodies. Think of it as a mini- opera in 2:58, with the crescendo for the final aria beginning around 2:17. Listen to those other songs we mentioned and you'll note he rarely repeated a section in them either.
This is from the Cinemax special "Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night," filmed at the Coconut Grove nightclub in LA on September 30, 1987, roughly 14 months before Orbison's death of a heart attack on December 6, 1988, at age 52. Other performers you may notice in this clip are Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, k.d. laing, Bonnie Raitt and James Burton. Hope you enjoy.
