Q1: Have you approached Orbison Productions about their desire to have Roy's Life story made into a film. My own viewpoint is that it should be a mini-tv  series that way we get more of the story and more of the music and it goes  into everyone's home.

A1. There was a film set to be done with a major producer about 6-8 years  ago. I made contact at that time but Barbara and the producer didn't  respond. I saw an interview where Barbara said the were in pre-production and filming would go ahead within 6 months or something. But, nothing  happened. Barbara is the best person to ask as to why it didn't materialise.  Whatever is done in this vein will be up to Barbara... she is in  control. My shows are non-dramatic, tribute & documentary style where I  don't infringe on dramatic rights which require licensing in her control.

Q2:   Were you ever around Roy when he was writing his songs. ?

A2.   I was never around Roy when he was writing songs.

Q3:   Did he take Barbara and his children with him on tour ?

A3.  He took Claudette with him (whom I met) on his first visit to Vancouver.  Occasionally he took Barbara with him. He never took his children. Barbara  didn't take care of any business at that time. Terry Widlake, who still   lives in Nashville, took care of all Roy's business.

Q4:  What sort of responsiblities did it entail looking after Roy's interests  - booking hotels- making sure he had clean stage clothes ?

A4. I looked after booking the shows and arranging the technical  requirements... lights & sound plus technicians, etc. In the early days, I  actually operated the lighting myself. I also designed the posters, ads and souvenir book. I still have an original book and some of the ads and poster  design somewhere. Terry Widlake looked after Roy's stage clothes & travel  arrangements. He also accompanied Roy on most of the the trips. i.e. Roy  and he would fly to the destinations while the band and techs, etc. would  drive. On occasion, I accompanied Roy as his travel partner.

Q5: Most of us have read with shock and disbelief Dark Star by Ellis Amburn Do  you have anything you would like to add/put the record straight on?

A5. I never saw Roy take any drugs whatsoever. And, I don't believe he did  during my time which was 1976 through 1980. He smoked (but didn't inhale)   those tiny Colt cigars to calm himself before performances. And, he took a  shot of Brandy for medicinal purposes before bedtime.

Q6: Were you at any or all of Roy's shows when you were in charge and was he  the sort of person who would go on stage and perform whilst he was ill?

A6. Roy never cancelled a performance due to illness. He performed many  times when he couldn't hit the high notes... and he never apologized to the  audience. He just did his best and I admired him for that. He didn't give interviews and didn't do autograph sessions. However, he did talk to  certain DJ's i.e. Red Robison who has 25 years of interviews... which I use  in "This Lonely Heart." Roy always signed an autograph for the fans that caught him at the stage door or whatever... he was always courteous and  accommodating in public. I never saw him get angry with anyone at any time.

Q7: What humourous tales and anecdotes can you recall involving Roy?

A7. Something funny happened at one of the shows I attended in England...   it was customary to play a joke on the star of the show on the last night  of a tour. In this instance the band played the final song an octave higher than it should have been. Well, the joke was on them... Roy hit every note!  He said later he knew right away what they had done... but, he pretended  nothing was wrong. The band couldn't believe it. Another time there was a  girl in the wings (within Roy's view but not the audience) who was stripping during the final song "Pretty Woman." Actually, one of the guys  was peeling her clothes off one piece at a time. When it came down to her being bare except for her panties... there was another pair underneath the one's that were being removed. After 4 or five peelings, the song was over  and Roy never did get to see her bottom. Roy admitted he had difficulty not breaking up during this episode. I think this might have been a record for  Roy smiling during a performance much less one song.

Q8: Can you recall who Roy's Band members were ie the Price brothers and how  did they get on with Roy

A8. The Price Brothers were the last band Roy used during my tenure. They  had a wierd name "Squadowheegie" or something similar. I don't remember off  the top of my head those particular musicians. Roy's first band had Bobby Goldsboro on guitar. Several members of his next band "The Candymen" later  became the "Atlanta Rhythm Section". All of the time I was with him, Terry  Widlake played bass guitar and looked after the band members. Bob Nix was  the drummer most of the time and Terry Elam was the conga drummer and he  later became Roy's road manager during the good days at the end. Terry Elam  is now part of the management team for Vince Gill.

Q9: Was Roy a person who would over-indulge in food or was he a sensible eater  whilst on tour?

A9. I think Roy would over-eat at times... this may have been through the influence of his brother Sam who never stopped eating. After the show Sam would oftem come back with much more than he could consume alone. I think  Roy helped him out most of the time. Roy was quite heavy during those  times. Before I left... or a better term would be drifted away after Roy  took an LA Manager that didn't communicate with me, Barbara fired Sammy  (Roy's brother) in a move that I think was intended to stop the bad eating  habits. Roy looked very good at both a 1986 and 1987 performance in  Vancouver. He said he had been excercising and eating right and felt better  than ever at that time.

Q10: Did Roy ever get depressed or down

A10. I never saw Roy really depressed or down. He was always quite level  headed and logical about things. He also read a lot... he could carry on a  sensible conversation with doctors, lawyers or scientists and knew a lot  about a lot of things. He gave me some valuable insights into the music  business.

The period of 1976 to 1980 saw some personal changes to Roy  He went back to Monument and Fred Foster  His Friend Elvis Died  He had Heart Surgery  He cut down on his performances whilst recuperating    Do you have any personal knowlege of any of these events and any more anecdotes from this era?

I remember the reunion with Fred Foster. Roy was full of anticipation. But, as you know, the magic seemed to be gone. He wrote the song (I believe he wrote it) "Hound Dog Man" for his friend Elvis.

I booked his first dates after heart surgery. We played 10 days at The Cave Supper Club in Vancouver and a week in Toronto at the Seaway Beverly Hills Hotel. These were sitdown jobs where no travel was involved... just what the doctor ordered.  He wore a white jumpsuit with tassles (Elvis style) for a while during that time. He also had an identical powder blue jumpsuit to alternate. They were a cloth material not leather.

I cancelled a tour of eastern Canada due to the heart surgery. However, it was early enough that advertising had not started and no serious loss was incurred. But, we had planned a working holiday in Hawaii to rehearse some new band members and play a week long run at "Le Boom Boom Room" in the International Marketplace in Honolulu.  A replacement act was needed for this engagement as arrangements were already in place. It was fortunate that the Elvis impersonation thing was big at the time and I managed to book one of the guys (Bobby Greer)that had appeared on a Dick Clark special done exclusively on Elvis acts.  The Hawaii show was a huge success and that venue booked only Elvis acts for many years afterward. I booked several of them myself. For me, the experience changed my life. I realized a three part Elvis show (Elvis,Elvis,Elvis) would make some sense. Did it ever... I played major theatres in the US & Canada for several years making more money than I had dreamed possible.  It was an eight year run that took me to six different countries. You have to ride out the wave as long as it lasts. That is how I drifted away from the Roy Orbison Camp. By the time Roy was ready to work steady again, I was too busy to work full time with him. You need to talk to Terry Widlake who was Roy's bass player and personal representative during the period I was with Roy. He now runs a pub (Sherlock Holmes Pub) next to the famous Exit Inn in Nashville. In fact Barbara interviewed him for an up-coming PBS TV Special recently. Also, apparently Alex (Roy's youngest son) was at the Exit Inn (drummer in the band) and stopped in to see Terry at the pub.  Terry was very close to Roy until Barbara took over the reins.

                                                                        
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