March 25, 1969
Roy & Barbara Orbison

Roy & Barbara Orbison

Roy Orbison, one of rock ‘n’ roll’s pioneers, married his wife, Barbara, 41 years ago today. They met in Leeds in 1968, while Orbison was on tour in Britain and Barbara was just 17 years old.

“He saw me across the room and he wanted to meet me and I finally came over to say hello and we never really said goodbye,” she told a reporter in 2008.

A year later, the couple was married in Nashville, Tennessee. Mrs. Orbison helped manage his career and was also the executive producer of his 1987 album, In Dreams: The Greatest Hits.

Often, rock ‘n’ roll marriages don’t last, but that wasn’t the case for this couple.

“He took me wherever he went and he always made me feel like I was the only one that mattered,” Mrs. Orbison said.

The couple remained together until his death in 1988. Upon his passing, Mrs. Orbison committed herself to promoting his music and raising money for charity. She also keeps his name alive by personally funding “The Orbison House” a 21-unit residence for the mentally impaired homeless of Los Angeles, CA.