Barbara Orbison dies aged 60

Roy Orbison’s widow Barbara has died of pancreatic cancer on the 23rd anniversary of her husband’s death.

The German-born music producer and publisher was married to the Oh, Pretty Woman singer for 19 years from March 1969 and during the 1980s started to manage his career. She executive-produced the 1988 TV special Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night, which featured Orbison playing with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits and helped renew interest in him.

When he died in December 1988 she took over the running of his business interests and keeping up his public profile. This began with the release in 1989 of the album Mystery Girl, which included the song You Got It and the Bono and The Edge penned title track, and posthumously returned him to the UK and US Top 10.

She also oversaw the release of the 1992 album King Of Hearts, while other projects included her co-producing the stage musical Only The Lonely: The Roy Orbison Story.

After the Malibu family home was destroyed by fire in 1993 she relocated to Nashville where she based her music publishing business and continued to work on projects about her husband.

She passed away on Tuesday, 23 years to the day after her husband died, at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Centre and is survived by her three sons.

Source: Music Week