Rare ROY ORBISON VIDEO INTERVIEW talking about his friend RICKY NELSON.
Orbison was also impressed with Ricky’s boys, Matthew and Gunnar, who formed the band Nelson. Ricky’s youngest son, Sam, went to school with Roy’s son, Roy Jr, in Santa Monica California. There’s lots more to the story between Orbison and Nelson. Ricky Nelson’s death, December 31st, 1985, affected Roy personally. All the more because they had just spent time together a few weeks before Ricky’s tragic plane accident.
A repeat situation for Roy, as he had done the same thing with high school friend Buddy Holly. Otis Redding (who sat next to Roy on a plane fight weeks before his death & planned on recording together). Patsy Cline (whose last shows Jan/Feb before her death March 5,1963 were as opening act for Roy Orbison’s 1963 tour of America, shortly before the Beatles/Roy Orbison tour of Britain.)
Roy Orbison has to be one of the only people to have flown on a plane with Buddy Holly, Patsy Cline, Otis Redding and Ricky Nelson.
Their deaths affected the world. You can imagine how Roy was affected. He knew them. These were his friends. This was the life he chose, where death by plane accident was a “workplace hazard”. They all knew it. Ricky Nelson knew it.
