Roy Orbison has been honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I first met Roy back in 1962 when Les Vogt and I booked him into Vancouver for some shows. We repeated bringing him to town for years. When we were not the promoters we always found time to get together during his visits. Les became his de facto manager during a period when Roy was without a record contract. Roy was not alone at that particular time as the record business was going through some major changes. The artists who started rock and roll suddenly found themselves out of favor.

Les suggested Roy move from Nashville to L.A.  He did and when he put on a show in and around the L. A. area his shows were sold out. After the first show backstage Roy was surprised to find people like Linda Ronstadt and others in the industry praising his talent.  This gave him a new lease on life and he began his creative process all over again. From this “second wind” came his collaborative effort with the Travelling Wilburys and his new hits like I Drove All Night and You Got It.

Sadly Roy passed away at his mother’s home during a birthday celebration in 1988. I remember getting a phone call from Les and how we  both cried unashamedly. He was a wonderful, warm human being. Memories of  great times came flooding back. There was the night in Chilliwack when Roy was performing with his band which included Bobby Goldsboro.  On the bill with him was Bob Luman and the Newbeats. Late in the evening backstage a large man appeared and asked to see Roy. It was Johnny Cash who had finished up his show earlier in the evening.

There was the New Year’s eve show in Port Alberni with the same headliners. On the way to the ferry the next morning  we were driving around Cameron Lake and the black ice almost put us in  the lake.  Roy joked that he felt maybe “the gold rush was over”  referring to the fact that we could be killed. We made it of course.

Backstage at the Garden Auditorium at the PNE Roy was nervous because he felt the audience might reject him because he was not the handsome star they might be expecting.  He need not have worried. Once his voice came through the P.A. system the crowd went wild. This was his first appearance ever outside of the U.S. and this photo of Roy on stage is very rare.

I always feel blessed that a man such as Roy was a major part of my life. There will never be another like him. His voice belongs to the ages.