Roy Orbison Will Tour In 2018, Despite Being Dead For Decades, According To ‘Ultimate Classic Rock’
It used to be that when a rock star died, their touring career came to a screeching halt. Not anymore. Thanks to 21st century hologram technology, the man who popularized such songs as “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” “Oh Pretty Woman,” and “Running Scared” is putting the finishing touches on a tour slated to start in springtime. The 2018 Roy Orbison tour kicks off at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales at the Motorpoint Arena on April 8.
BASE Hologram previewed the not-quite-perfected projected 4K image of Roy Orbison at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City last November. Roy’s son, Alex Orbison, was in the audience and said the image of his deceased dad left him breathless and impressed. The younger (and still alive) Orbison noted that the holographic Roy “looked just like my dad standing on stage.” Alex, president of Orbison Music as well as one of the backers of the BASE Hologram project, said that watching his father perform three decades after his demise was “a little bit like the Jetsons,” according to New Musical Express. An oddly lifelike hologram of 20th century opera singer, Maria Callas, also appeared at November 9 showing.
2018 Roy Orbison Concert Tour
Dubbed Roy Orbison in Dreams: The Hologram U.K. Tour, the upcoming Roy Orbison tour will visit Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Leeds, and other European cities before winding up at the Bournemouth International Centre on April 20. The Roy Orbison in Dreams tour will feature a full orchestra in support of Roy’s most recent album release, A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tour promoter Danny Betesh told Ultimate Classic Rock that he promises to deliver a “transformative live entertainment concert experience” to concertgoers.
“I’ve been working with artists and live shows since the 60s and it’s immensely exciting to see Roy back on the stage in such a modern and creative way. His music never went away, and now fans can enjoy seeing the live show and hearing all those much loved songs.”
His voice was immortal. Now the man himself is too. ??: https://t.co/82BN1pLzf0 pic.twitter.com/P2XKyAzBD9
— BASE Hologram (@BASEHologram) February 20, 2018
Roy Orbison Won’t Be The First Hologram To Entertain Concertgoers
On the closing night of the Coachella festival in 2012, a holographic Tupac Shakur prowled the stage with Dr. Dre and performed a duet version of “2 of Americaz Most Wanted” with Snoop Dogg. Ronnie James Dio, Elvis Presley, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Michael Jackson have also made postmortem appearances via hologram technology. Deceased American composer, Frank Zappa, may also tour as a hologram later this year.
