American singer-songwriter Roy Orbison led a fascinating life of immense ups and drastic downs, all of which will be portrayed in ‘The Roy Orbison Story’ starring Mark Shelley at the Blue Mountains Theatre on March 21.
Shelley began singing professionally at 18-years-old, and as time went on, his voice was compared to Orbison’s.
“He’s got so many wonderful songs and such an interesting life story; he was a really important figure in early contemporary music and rock ‘n’ roll and that fascinated me,” Shelley said.
“As that fascination grew, I then developed a show to share his songs and his story with people.”
Within that story is the death of his wife in a motorcycle accident in 1966 and the death of two of his children in a house fire in 1968.
“He was depicted as a man of tragedy, but in reality, he had tragic things happen,” Shelley explained.
“But, as I researched and got to know his character, he was actually a really positive man with a dry sense of humour and quite enjoyed life.
“He had the tragedy side of his life which was devastating, but then his passion for music and passion for life kept him going.”
Although Shelley spends a lot of time emulating the Caruso of Rock, it doesn’t take an emotional toll on him.
“At times, when you’re aware of other people’s tragedy, you reflect on how it would devastate you,” Shelley stated.
“I’m a father of two children, and I cannot imagine going on with life if I lost them in the tragic way that he lost his children.
“In that way, there’s that emotional connection, but on a personal day-to-day level, I’m playing a character, and I can step in and out of that character.”
The show will take the audience through more than 20 of Orbison’s hits.
“They’ll hopefully feel the emotion from those segments and stories,” Shelley said.
“There are some sections where people like to sing along, and we’ll have a bit of a laugh.”
Some of those hits will include songs from the late 1980s, when the ‘Big O’ was part of a supergroup.
“We also touch on the end part of his life where he was a member of the Traveling Wilburys, which was a very famous band with iconic people like Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and George Harrison,” Shelley said.
Alongside his seven-piece band, Shelley described sharing Orbison’s story as a privilege.
“Obviously I’m not Roy Orbison, there’s only one and he’s passed away, but to be able to take people on a journey through his life and also back to their own memories of where they were and what they were doing when they first heard those songs, it’s an honour,” Shelley finished.
Experience the vocal range and tone of Roy Orbison through Mark Shelley with ‘The Roy Orbison Story’ on March 21 at the Blue Mountains Theatre. Tickets cost $67.50 and can be purchased through the Blue Mountains Theatre website at https://www.bluemountainstheatre.com.au/what-s-on/season-2025/the-roy-orbison-story.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.