Roy Orbison’s son says he cried when he first saw late father’s hologram onstage: ‘It’s overwhelming’
Alex Orbison cried when he saw the image of his father performing on stage — nearly 30 years after his passing.
Roy Orbison, the iconic rock ’n’ roll crooner who provided the title inspiration for 1990’s “Pretty Woman” starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, passed away in 1988 at age 52 from a heart attack.
And now the beloved ‘60s singer is being resurrected to hit the road once more through the magic of hologram technology. The estate-approved hologram tour kicked off in Europe earlier this year and next month will begin a 28-date run across the U.S. and Canada.
The shows pair the artist’s hologram with live orchestration and newly recorded, digitally remastered arrangements of his classics.
Orbison, 43, told Fox News the likeness is so uncanny he quickly became emotional when he first saw it, especially after he witnessed other families bonding over the songs he grew up listening to.
“For the first show, I was holding in my breath and wanted everything to be perfect,” he said. “When people started clapping at the end of ‘Only the Lonely’ and going into ‘Crying,’ I started seeing these tender family moments and then another couple.
“You could tell, the couple, it was their favorite song because their hands floated up and they held each other’s hands as the song went in. And then they gave each other this look. That part of it touched me.
“I just started crying being so proud of what my dad accomplished in his songs… and that incredible voice. And the fact that people were seeing it in real time. It’s overwhelming and just very touching.”
Orbison is aware some fans of his father’s will be hesitant to catch some of the new performances, alleging it’s morbid or simply not the same. However, Orbison said the tour was carefully created to ensure it honored the late star’s lasting legacy in music.
“Being able to see a visual representation of an artist like my dad… and hearing his vocals plunked through a big theater or arena, it’s a powerful experience and even the most ardent fans… wanting to be skeptic, go to the shows and end up coming away loving them,” he explained.
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