ROY’S LIFE-CHANGING LOVE SONG

The Roy Orbison song Claudette reached No.1 in the UK hit parade for the Everly Brothers when it was jointly listed alongside the A-side All I Have To Do Is Dream in 1958. Written about his father’s sweetheart, Claudette Frady, Roy Orbison Jr said: “Dad was the most romantic artist in the world and this song probably got him his dream girl.

“I get goosebumps talking about it today because I remember Jerry Allison of The Crickets telling me how my dad drove him and their two girls out to a lake in his convertible. The two women in that car, Peggy Sue and Claudette, are now immortalised in song forever.

“Roy was doing a show with Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers when Phil and Don asked if either of them had any songs they could record. Well, my dad shyly backed away while Buddy played them song after song. They looked at Roy who embarrassingly played them Claudette, Phil grabbed a cardboard box and scribbled down the lyrics. The next thing Roy knows it’s on the radio and the flipside to one of the most successful songs ever made.”

Claudette was the first notable success as a songwriter for Orbison who was subsequently signed to the Acu–-Rose music publishing firm.

Orbison Jr said: “It changed Roy’s life because he was flat broke with a family to support. Suddenly he started getting the publishing money. Roy was always humble in talking about Phil and Don and never let anyone forget what they meant to him.”