Stars mourn singer’s death

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 8

Stars mourn singer’s death

NZPA-AP Los Angeles Entertainers and fans worldwide mourned the death of the rock ’n’ roll legend, Roy Orbison, yesterday, describing the singer, guitarist and songwriter as one of rock’s pioneers.

Entertainers as diverse as Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Emmylou Harris, Keith Richards and U2’s Bono said music had lost one of its giants. The Grammy Awardwinning Orbison, famed for such hits as “Oh, Pretty Woman,” "Only the Lonely” and “Crying,” died of a heart attack in a Nashville hospital. He was 52.

“Sweet Roy. A gentleman and a gentle man. A good friend. His death is a great loss to rock ’n’ roll, but we still have his music,” said the Rolling Stones’ Richards.

“He was and always will be one of the greats of rock ’n’ roll,” said the former Beatle, Paul McCartney. “We toured with Roy in the early days and he was a really good guy.” Always dressed in dark attire and wearing sunglasses, Orbison had 27 consecutive records on the charts during his heyday in the early 19605. Orbison’s vocal range spanned three octaves, and Elvis Presley once called him the greatest singer in the world. “He was as gentle, wise, and mysterious as his voice,” said U2’s Bono, who recently recorded with Orbison in Memphis, Tennessee.

“Starting over more than once, he was at the

time of his death the finest white pop singer on the planet. Writing a song for him was like writing a song for Elvis Presley, the only other comparable vo-

cal talent,” said Bono. Recently, Orbison became popular with still another generation of fans as a member of The Travelling Wilburys — along with the former Beatle, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne. Harrison and Petty said through publicists that they were too stunned to comment immediately. Emmylou Harris, contacted on tour in Connecticut, described Orbison as “one of the greatest singers that ever lived. There will never be another like him.” In 1980, she collaborated with Orbison for “That Loving You Feeling Again,” which won a Grammy award. "He had the voice of an angel,” said Billy Joel. "His loss will be felt by anyone who loves rock ’n’ roll.”