Singer and songwriter Roy Orbison. Courtesy photo

In the grand scheme of things, there are those once-in-a-lifetime singers who, even in death, never fade away. They are the special artists whose voice has that rare indefinable something that can sweep you up, and in an instant, lift you up and carry you away through the canyons of forever. They are the ones who have that gift that allows them to transcend the bonds of time. They are the ones who remain vivid and alive forever in the mind’s eye. The late Roy Orbison was one of those gifted singer-songwriters. As I write this, there is an untarnished pristine image of him that has taken up residence in my mind. I’m hoping that he’ll stay there for a while.

Even today, 35 years after he left this world, there are those occasional moments when, maybe late in the evening when I’m looking at the world over the rim of a beer glass or a coffee cup, faded echoes of his amazing singing voice are tiptoeing softly through my mind. In truth, I still see Orbison as having a melodic and emotionally charged singing voice that put him in a class by himself. For he was the guy who George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynn all wanted to have in the legendary super band, the Traveling Wilburys. He was the one who all of those musical superstars looked up to, and who they collectively saw as being the singer-songwriter who had a lifelong influence on them. Can any musical artist on the planet begin to imagine artists like George Harrison and Bob Dylan having the life-long admiration that they had for Orbison?

The quiet, and always humble, guy who grew up in Wink, a small oil town in parched West Texas, left this world more than 30 years ago, and he made his final exit far too early, as he was only 52 when he suffered a fatal heart attack in December of 1988. And yet, as I say, he lives on today in the lush musical legacy that he left behind. Be it “Pretty Woman,” “Running Scared,” “Crying,” “Only the Lonely,” the poignant Christman song “Prett Paper,” or the Wilburys “Handle with Care,” whenever I hear these musical treasures, I rediscover him all over again as I always feel an involuntary smile crawl across my face. The human emotion, and amazing range that was present in his vocal stylings has no expiration date.

For those people who appreciated his intoxicating tenor voice, there is good news to be found in the fact that Hollywood has a Roy Orbison biopic in the works. The independent production company, Compelling Pictures, is the principal driver of the Orbison story, and project is being driven by Dennis O’Sullivan who worked on “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018’s Freddie Mercury biopic) and Jeff Kalligheri who worked on the 2022 Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Additionally, Orbison’s sons, Alex, Roy Jr. and Wesley are all executive producers on the movie. In a recently issued statement the sons said, “The Orbison’s are elated to find the perfect partners in Compelling Pictures for the Roy Orbison biopic. Dennis and Jeff’s vision for this journey through Roy’s life is incredible.” At this time, the film has a working title of “You Got it,” the Orbison chart topping song that was released posthumously in January of 1989, just a month after he died. At this time, the tentative release date for “You Got it” is Nov. 15.

Elvis Presley, the King of rock ‘n’ roll called Orbison the greatest singer that he had ever heard. Poet laureate Bob Dylan said, “He sounded like he was singing from an Olympian Mountain top and he meant business. With Roy, you didn’t know if you were listening to mariachi or opera. He kept you on your toes. ”

I believe that, for those who came of age in the late 50s and early 60s, the chances are pretty good that somewhere, buried way down deep in one of those dark and cobwebby corners of their basement, or in the attic or garage that is the repository for the timeworn relics of their faded youth, there might be one of Roy’s vinyl albums that is now consigned to a far-away place that is untouched by time. Whether the attic picker unearths a Roy Orbison solo musical gem, or perhaps, a later generation CD that featured Roy as part of the supergroup Traveling Wilbury’s, for the passionate music lover, it’s like finding the holy grail.

Looking back at him today, so many years after his death, attempting to discern the exact nature of his music still remains a bit of a mystery. Was it rock, country, pop, country-rock or rockabilly? While Elvis defined sensuality and was a poster boy for rebellion, there was a unique depth of human emotion and fragility in the soft-spoken Roy Orbison that drew people to him. He sang in a way that drew generations of music lovers into his songs. People everywhere could identify with his unique style. This was evident by the many music stars who covered his songs across the years that included Van Halen, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Jones, Waylon Jennings, and a host of other music luminaries. In 1987 he was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame just one year before he died.

Perhaps the best tribute to Roy Orbison that I have heard came again from Bruce Springsteen who, speaking at Orbison’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of induction ceremony said, “Some rock ‘n’ roll reinforces friendship and community, but for me, Roy’s ballads were always best when you were listening to them alone in the dark.” I absolutely love that tribute from the boss, as it says it all.

So, what exactly was the nature of Roy Orbison’s music? Well, in the end, I believe that the pages of his musical songbook are filled with whatever happens to feel right to the individual listener.

Paul Collins is a Freelance Writer from Southborough, Mass.