The Official Website of The Soul of Rock and Roll
RIP George Martin
John Lennon was trying to write a Roy Orbison song when he and Paul McCartney penned “PLEASE PLEASE ME.” Legendary producer (affectionately known as the “5th Beatle”) George Martin, upped the tempo and took it in a different direction that ultimately led to the song being the first big hit for the Beatles and going to #1 on the New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts!
RIP Sonny James
Country legend Sonny James passed away earlier this week. Scoring hit after hit for decades, James had an incredibly successful career as one of the earliest artists to enjoy crossover success from country to pop.
Here’s Sonny James’ version of Roy Orbison’s “ONLY THE LONELY”-
Remembering Roy & Barbara Orbison on the anniversary of their deaths.
This photo shows Barbara and Roy when they first fell in love during the #MGMYears.
RIP Jimi Hendrix!
The guitar legend passed away 45 years ago today.
Here’s a cool vintage Marshall ad featuring Jimi Hendrix & Roy Orbison –
RIP Jim Ed Brown
The Country music legend, Grand Ole Opry member, and Country Music Hall of Famer passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. His 70 year legacy of performing includes influence on artists like The Beatles, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, and Roy Orbison. All of the aforementioned artists (and a dozen others) have recorded the song that Jim Ed Brown and his sisters, The Browns, made famous in 1959 called “THE THREE BELLS.” Roy Orbison’s take on the song can be found on his 1972 MGM album MEMPHIS.
Here are The Browns with “THE THREE BELLS” –