Alex Orbison


Alexander Orbi Lee Orbison, also known as Orbi, is an American drummer, writer, director, and film producer. He is the president of Still Working Music Group, a publishing company. He is also president and co-founder of Roy's Boys LLC, which manages the legacy of his father, musician Roy Orbison; the organization also includes his brothers, Roy Orbison Jr. and Wesley Orbison.

Biography

Orbi is the youngest son of Roy Orbison and Barbara Orbison, born on May 25, 1975. He is their second born child, following Roy Kelton Orbison, Jr, born October 18, 1970. He has an older half-brother, Wesley Orbison. In addition, he had two older brothers from Roy's first marriage who died in a fire. They lived on Old Hickory Lake, next door to his god-parents Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Growing up in a musical household, Orbi's first instrument was violin, as his hands were too small for the guitar, followed by guitar and piano before landing on drums.
After Roy travelled to California to co-write with Jerry Lynn Williams and Will Jennings, Roy decided to move his family to Malibu, California in 1985.
Malibu provided much needed support to Orbi when his father died in 1988. Roy was 52 years old, Alex was 13.
Following the death of his mother in 2011, Alex moved back to Nashville, Tennessee after promising her he'd "get down to Nashville and take care of business" following her battle with pancreatic cancer,. where he currently lives with his wife, Erika Wolf Orbison, and two dogs.

Early musical career

In the early 1990s, Orbi made friends with Jerry Lynn Williams' son Chris Williams, co-founding a band called Backbone69. Guitarist-vocalist Williams and drummer Orbi, Backbone69 included guitarist Duane Betts, son of the Allman Brothers' Dickey Betts, and bass player Berry Oakley Jr., son of Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley.
In 1992, Orbi took his first professional position in publishing with Don Williams Music Group, but as Backbone gained popularity amongst the community, Orbi left his position in publishing to tour with Backbone69.
Tragically, in 2001, Chris Williams was in a fatal car accident, which led to the dissipation of the band. As Betts described it, "It was like the tribe lost its chief."
While Williams was alive, the members of Backbone frequently played as backing band for the son of Lou Adler, Cisco Adler's project called Whitestarr. After Williams' passing, Cisco invited the boys of Backbone to formally join the band.
After signing with Atlantic Records in 2000 and a television series on VH1, Whitestarr disbanded in 2008.

Executive career

Since 2012, Alex has been president of the publishing company, Still Working Music Group and Roy's Boys LLC, managing his father's catalog with his brothers.

Mystery Girl Deluxe (2014)

Alex Orbison • Executive Producer, Liner Notes
For the 25th anniversary of the posthumously released Mystery Girl, a Deluxe version was released with a new song "The Way is Love". The record was mixed at the Johnny Cash Cabin, produced by John Carter Cash, remastered by Richard Dodd and released on Sony Legacy. The bonus track "The Way is Love" includes guitar, vocals and drumming by the Orbison brothers – Alex, Roy Jr. and Wesley with the vocal by their father.

One of The Lonely Ones (2015)

Alex Orbison • Producer, Executive Producer, Liner Notes
One of The Lonely Ones, recorded between January and August 1969, was previously unreleased due to a "logjam of releases". The album was mixed at the Johnny Cash Cabin, produced by Alex and Chuck Fleckenstein, remastered by Richard Dodd and released on Sony Legacy.

The MGM years 1965–1973 (2015)

Alex Orbison • Producer, Executive Producer, Liner Notes
The MGM Years box set was a complete reissue of all 13 records made during Roy Orbison's deal with MGM Records. All 13 records were re-mixed at the Johnny Cash Cabin, produced by Alex and Chuck Fleckenstein, remastered by Richard Dodd and released on Sony Legacy.

Roy Orbison: The Ultimate collection (2016)

Alex Orbison • Producer, Executive Producer
"Roy’s son, Alex Orbison, painstakingly selected songs that were most representational of his father’s vast catalog, which totals 27 studio albums, four live albums, and over 60 singles, 22 of which placed in the U.S. Billboard Top 40 chart. Narrowing it down was no easy task. “It is a great honor for me and my brothers, Wesley and Roy Jr., to finally and definitively distill our father’s entire career onto a single disc as best one can possibly do and, certainly, as never done before,” said Alex. “It is the result of years of research, archiving and listening, and it is with supreme and heartfelt pleasure that we will be able to share it with the world.”"

Black & White Night 30 (2017)

Alex Orbison • Producer, Executive Producer
The re-imagined, re-mastered version of the was released February 27, 2017. Alex painstaking reviewed all original camera angles, re-mixed and re-imagined the show to give the viewer a front row seat to this iconic concert.

The Authorized Roy Orbison (2017)

Alex Orbison • Co-Writer
The first-ever estate-authorized biography will be released October 17, 2017. The book is written by Alex, his brothers Roy Jr. and Wesley Orbison alongside Jeff Slate, with research by Orbison historian Marcel Riesco.

A Love So Beautiful (2017)

Alex Orbison • Musician
A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be released November 17, 2017. Alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alex, Wesley, Roy Jr and Roy Jr.'s son, Roy Kelton Orbison III, contribute to the making of this record. The philharmonic recorded in Abbey Road studios.

Only The Lonely (2018)

Alex Orbison • Co-Producer
Alex and his brothers signed on for the first ever estate authorized biopic, written by Ray Gideon and Bruce A. Evans. The film will be co-produced by Alex Orbison alongside Marty Katz and Roy Kelton Orbison Jr., executive produced by Chuck Fleckenstein, Wesley Orbison and Ron Moore.

The Beatle Who Vanished

Alex Orbison • Co-Producer
Alex, along with close friend Ashley Hamilton secured the rights to "The Beatle Who Vanished", the 2013 book by Jim Berkenstadt about Jimmie Nicol who filled in for Ringo Starr for 13 days during Beatles' 1964 world tour.

Discography

with Roy Orbison