On Monday, February 29, the T.J. Martell Foundation Nashville hosted their annual fundraiser and awards. Brian Phillips, president of CMT and friend of the Orbison family, was given the Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award. When discussing the event with Joe Walsh, who performed at the event, the two recalled their friend Barbara Orbison-
“The truth is that we have some common history, we have some shared history and some common friends who make this night even more special,” Philips said. “I would especially mention the late Barbara Orbison.”
Orbison, wife of the late Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Roy Orbison, died of pancreatic cancer in 2011,
“The T.J. Martell Foundation, in a way, personifies all of that we wish we could have done for Barbara,” Philips said. “And so it’s about the Martell Foundation which is … a way of addressing cancer and the promise of a cure. And that’s why we are thrilled to be here.”
