Roy Orbison, master of the romantic yet slightly eerie country ballad, died in 1988 – but will tour the UK again in 2018, albeit in holographic form.
Using 3D projection technology that has previously brought the likes of Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson back to visible life, Orbison will be backed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on the 10-date tour. His son Alex described it as “a dream setup”.
With his signature dark glasses giving him an air of mystery, Orbison had huge hits with In Dreams, Only the Lonely, Crying, and Oh, Pretty Woman. He also faced tragedy: his wife died in a motorbike crash and his two eldest sons died in a house fire. Orbison died of a heart attack aged just 52. His iconic look, mellifluous croon and timeless songwriting means that he retains a strong fanbase.
Since a holographic Tupac astounded the crowd at Coachella festival in 2012, the technology has slowly become more popular. In November, the late heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio will start a world tour backed by musicians who previously played with him. Frank Zappa is also set to be reanimated, playing alongside guitarists such as Steve Vai on a tour orchestrated by his son Ahmet, though Zappa guitarist Adrian Belew has denounced the plans as “caustic and divisive”.
Abba meanwhile, all of whom are still alive, will outsource their touring to holographic versions of themselves in 2019. “It’s perfect. We can be on stage while I’m home walking the dogs,” the band’s Benny Andersson said.
