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Remembering Barbara Orbison: 1951-2011

Barbara Orbison, the widow of rock-and-roll architect Roy Orbison, died at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center on December 6, 2011, on the 23rd anniversary of her husband’s death. Orbison lost a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 60 years old. In addition to being a devoted wife and mother, Orbison was a savvy music publisher and manager, BMI songwriter and proud steward of her…
Randy Rogers Band: It’s Always About the Songs

“It’s frustrating to me sometimes when people classify us as Texas music,” says Randy Rogers, lifting his cowboy hat to drag a hand through cropped curls. Ah, but Randy, the association’s just too easy to make. The Randy Rogers Band frontman was born and raised in Cleburne as the son of a Baptist preacher; honed his chops out of high school with open mic nights at San…
BMI’s New Holiday Standards Announce That Time of Year

Holiday songs are no longer elevator music for the month of December—nor, as seems to increasingly be the case, for late October and November. The BMI repertoire is stacked with new classics that command attention, channeling lovesick blues, winking irreverence and funk-laced grooves into original odes to the season. In no particular order, here are 15 favorites from the BMI catalog: “Please Come Home for Christmas” Originally recorded by…
Share Memories of Roy Orbison

Twenty-two years ago, rock-and-roll icon Roy Orbison passed away. He was gone suddenly and tragically, in the midst of crafting an influence that still echoes throughout music. The voice and songwriter behind “Oh, Pretty Woman,” “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” “In Dreams,” “Blue Bayou,” “You Got It,” and more, Orbison composed jewels that now make up America’s cultural DNA. Read Ari Surdoval's BMI MusicWorld feature highlighting…
Fred Foster, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson Saluted with Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award

The Nashville music community came together to celebrate BMI pioneers Fred Foster, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson with the seventh annual Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award, presented during the organization’s gala dinner on Sunday, August 29 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Music City. Vince Gill hosted the ceremony and Shawn Camp led the ace…
Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster Tapped as Dale Franklin Award Recipients

Leadership Music will present the Dale Franklin Award to BMI Icons Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, as well as BMI legend Fred Foster, during the organization’s annual benefit gala, slated for Sunday, August 29 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville. Named for the first executive director of Leadership Music, the award was created “to recognize a music industry leader who…
Roy Orbison’s 74th Birthday to be Celebrated with Benefit, Baseball & More

Gone but far from forgotten, BMI legend Roy Orbison would have turned 74 this month. To celebrate, on April 23, Nashville will commemorate Orbison’s birthday with a "Benefit Birthday Bash" for Musicians On Call, the charity created to bring hospitalized patients face to face with their favorite musical artists. The benefit will be held at the Hard Rock Café in downtown Nashville and will revolve around a…
Roy Orbison to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in Live Webcast

BMI legend Roy Orbison's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will be unveiled during a ceremony tomorrow, January 29 in Los Angeles. Barbara Orbison will accept the posthumous honor, and will be joined by the couple's two sons Alex and Roy Jr., while BMI President & CEO Del Bryant will also attend to help celebrate the life and career of one of American…
Musicians Hall of Fame Inducts BMI Pioneers

Industry admirers, peers, and contemporary stars gathered to salute the 2009 class of virtuosos inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame on Monday, October 12 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville. BMI legends Chet Atkins, Fred Foster, Charlie Daniels, Billy Cox, and band Toto all became members of the prestigious club that already includes…
T-Bone Burnett: True Believer

In today’s digitized computerized compressed treble-drenched fluorescent airtight culture, it can get a little hard to breathe. Sometimes, somebody needs to open the window — preferably with a well-thrown brick — and let in a little sun and wind. And nobody recognizes the soul-saving sweetness of some well-placed sonic space better than T-Bone Burnett. A legendary producer, and a gifted musician and songwriter, he was born Joseph…
Recent Roy Orbison events
| Apr 23 2009 | Roy Orbison & Friends BMI Showcase: London |
