Barry Steele & Friends: The Roy Orbison Story
The Roy Orbison Story is presented by Barry Steele & Friends. Steele is an incredible talent that is known for his sense of humour. He plays a convincing mime on stage and has been known to walk on stage with Barney Williams.
Barry is most famous for his role of Roy Orbison.
Orbison became an obsession for Steele when he was performing during a musical competition. A competitor told Steele how he sounded like Orbison. The remarks stuck in Steele’s mind and led to him touring in The Roy Orbison Story.
His goal was to honor the art that Orbison helped create, and he did this by having a clear vision and performing songs how they were originally performed.
Orbison, also known as “The Big O,” was born in 1936 and died in 1988. Known for his distinctive voice, Orbison was a passionate singer that has dark ballads. The pinnacle of his career occurred between 1960 and 1964 when he had 22 songs reach the Billboard Top 40.
“Oh, Pretty Woman” and “Only the Lonely” are two of many memorable songs that Orbison gave life.
Orbison’s story is tragic with his career suffering a major decline in the late 60s and never quite recovering. Covers helped revive his career somewhat, and his last album Mystery Girl was released the same year that he died from a heart attack.
Despite his career slump, he made a lasting impression on music and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine placed him as the 37th greatest artist of all time.
Orbison pursued a resurgence in his career, and he always showed amazement when fans wanted to hear his music again. Some tabloids suggested that he worked himself to death.
Steele & Friends work to bring the magic that Orbison brought to life back to the big stage. Steele is playing at the end of October at the Theatre Royal Brighton. Recognized as the leading Orbison impersonator, Steele is considered unmissable.
Steele is celebrating his 10-year anniversary on the stage as Orbison offering a unique show to audience members. He covers an array of Orbison’s music during the anniversary performance, yet he also sings songs from some of the biggest names of the 60s, including: Jerry lee Lewis and George Harrison.
Considered a musical genius in his own right, Steele will leave fans of Orbison on their feet as he brings Orbison’s story to stages across the United Kingdom.