Alex Orbison

Alex "Orbi" Orbison
Background information
Birth name	Alexander Orbi Orbison
Also known as	Orbi
Born	(1975-05-25) May 25, 1975 Hendersonville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Musician Publisher producer director
Instruments	Drums, Background vocals
Years active	Since 2000
Labels	Sony Legacy Atlantic Records
Associated acts	Roy Orbison Whitestarr Backbone69
Website	stillworkingmusicgroup.com/alexorbison/ royorbison.com

Alexander "Orbi" Orbison (born May 25, 1975), also known as Orbi, is an American drummer, writer, director, and film producer. Alex is co-president of Still Working Music Group, a publishing company and Roy's Boys LLC, through which Roy Orbison's legacy is managed alongside his brothers, Roy Jr., and Wesley Orbison.^[1]

Biography

Orbi is the youngest son of legendary rock and roll songwriter 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. They lived on Old Hickory Lake, next door to his god-parents Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee.^[2] Growing up in a musical household, Orbi's first instrument was violin, followed by guitar, piano and before sticking with drums.^[3] 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.^[4]

Malibu provided much needed support to Orbi when his father died in 1988. Roy was 52 years old, Alex was only 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,.^[5] where he currently lives in Nashville with his wife, Erika Wolf Orbison, and two dogs.^[6]

Early musical career

In early 1990's, 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.^[7]

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.^[8]

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."^[9]

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 manages his father's catalog with his brothers.^[6]

Mystery Girl Deluxe

Alex Orbison • Executive Producer, Liner Notes^[10]

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.^[11][12]

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.^[13]

One of The Lonely Ones (2015)

Alex Orbison • Producer, Executive Producer, Liner Notes ^[14]

One of The Lonely Ones, recorded between January and August 1969, was previously unreleased due to a "logjam of releases".^[15] The album was mixed at the Johnny Cash Cabin, produced by Alex and Chuck Fleckenstein, remastered by Richard Dodd and released on Sony Legacy.^[13]

Roy Orbison: The Ultimate collection (2016)

Alex Orbison • Producer, Executive Producer ^[16]

"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.”"^[17]

Discography

with Roy Orbison

• Mystery Girl: Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition (2014)
• The MGM Years (2015)
• One of The Lonely Ones (2015)
• Roy Orbison: The Ultimate collection (2016)
• Roy Orbison: Black & White Night 30 (2017)

with Whitestarr

• Luv Machine (2006)
• Fillith Tillith (2007)

with Backbone69

• "Backbone69" (1999, re-issued 2016)

Filmography

• Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl – Unraveled (2014) ^[18]
• Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones (2015) ^[19]
• Roy Orbison: Black and White Night 30 (2017) <ref>"Expanded Edition of Roy Orbison's Iconic 'Black & White Night' Concert Film & Album Coming for 30th Anniversary: Exclusive." Billboard. N.p., 01 Jan. 2017. Web. 1 June 2017."
• The Big O: Roy Orbison (2018)

References

External links

• stillworkingmusicgroup.com/ – official website
• Alex Orbison on IMDb