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Picture
Barry Steele as
ROY ORBISON
'The Roy Orbison Story'
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
13th September 2018
MEET BARRY STEELE

What can the Theatre audience expect from your show The Roy Orbison Story?
I am backed in this all live multi-media show, with not only a fabulous band and musicians, but a big screen featuring both live streaming, and images from the life and times of Roy Orbison, interspersed with factoids and information about the life and times of what is considered to be one of the best singers the world has ever known. 
When did you first discover your singing abilities and their likeness to Roy Orbison’s?
It was on a family holiday in Cornwall in 2001 that I took the first steps on the road to becoming a professional singer, when my wife Lynne and daughter Leonie entered me into a singing competition without my knowledge. It was there that a fellow competitor said to me, “You know you sound just like Roy Orbison singing Robbie Williams!” so with the help of family and friends a tribute to The Big ‘O’ was born
What is your favourite Roy Orbison song?
California Blue & Leah
With so many great songs to choose from, how did you pick which ones to include in the show?
The set list has evolved over the years, and with the back catalogue Roy Orbison has it was difficult to choose, however we used feedback from the audience and of course we sing the best sellers, but there are a few surprises in this year’s show. Orbison’s songs not only have wonderful melodies and tunes, the lyrics are some of the most sublime ever written.  Not only does the music take you back in time, the songs can make you happy, sad and emotive all at the same time. Orbison is known as a balladeer, but he also recorded and performed rocky and contemporary songs. His songs are quite simply timeless.
What has been one of your fondest memories from your shows?
Touring New Zealand, meeting Wesley Orbison (Roy’s son) and duetting with Bill Dees (co-writer of Oh Pretty Woman).
Looking back, what would you say some of your career highlights have been?
As above really, but one highlight is about to happen as we make our West End Debut in December at The Adelphi Theatre. 
What have been your main challenges surrounding this production and how have you overcome them?
As we tour continuously, last year’s Aussie flu hit the cast pretty hard. But we carried on and just kept going.
What’s next for Barry Steele after The Roy Orbison Story tour?
We have no plans to stop touring; we will continue to tour the show for as long as possible, as we love it.
WWW.BARRYSTEELE.COM
Tickets
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
 01702 351135 ​
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Our INTERVIEW with Barry before the 2017 Tour BELOW

The Big ‘O’ is back - in the guise of Barry Steele
Barry Steele is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading tribute artistes playing homage to the legendary Roy Orbison.  At the moment, he’s busy touring the UK with his show The Roy Orbison Story. He took some time out to talk to me about his current tour.
​

The tour started last week, how is it going?
We are constantly touring all year around so we are used to it.  The show always goes down well and we get lots of good feedback. Some people even say that it is like watching Roy himself. It has built up my confidence although I still get nervous before a show, but then everyone says that’s natural.
This is a very extensive tour, how do you protect your voice?
Don’t tell me how many dates there are as it gives me a nasty shock. We do about 100 shows a year, sometimes three a week. I don’t use any special techniques; I just turn up and sing.
You will be appearing in Southend at the Palace Theatre, have you performed there before?
I have been at the Palace four or five times.  I would like to do a show at the Cliffs sometime.  We have put out feelers but so far, it hasn’t happened.  
Were you always aware that you had a voice that sounded like Roy Orbison?
I never thought about it.  I was always a very shy person and 17 or 18 years ago, you would have seen me sitting in a corner minding my own business. All my family have had good voices, some were even operatic. It is in the genes.  I just needed to build up the confidence to perform.  Previously I was a lorry driver and just sung along to tapes and the radio in the cab.
How did it all start?
In 2000, I was on holiday in Cornwall with my wife and daughter.  In the midweek, the bluecoats asked the children to get their parents up on stage to perform.  My daughter put my name forward to sing.  I didn’t know until they called my name out and it took an hour for them to persuade me to get up there.  I was scared to death. However, it went really well and the audience of over 200 clapped me on and I was shocked, but I loved the feeling. I didn’t realise that I had a good voice, it just sounded normal to me. I sang a Robbie Williams song, but everyone said I sounded like Roy Orbison. 
Do you work at copying his voice?
No, I just sing, and people say that is what it sounds like.  I am not aware of copying him; I don’t hear his voice when I sing it just sounds like me.  I have worked at copying his look as people expect that as part of the package.  You have to look the part.  I never saw him in live performance, which is a shame, but I have watched videos.  It is exciting when we get feedback from people who did see him perform and say how much they enjoyed my version. 
Do you only sing Roy’s material in the show, or do you bring in songs of others?
I only sing his songs, but the guys who are backing me perform songs of singers who were friends of Roy during his career.  They loved Roy so we perform their songs.  He often performed on stage with other singers.  Our number one keyboard player does a brilliant Jerry Lee Lewis number.
Do you narrate the story of Roy’s life, which was rather tragic?
I mainly tell the story through his songs, although I do introductions.  At the same time, we have a full screen backdrop.  The footage gives the information that relates to the songs that I’m performing.  It is more than just a tribute; it is a musical story in time.
People often comment that they hadn’t realised that the songs he’d written related to events in his life.  Some of his songs like Crying and Too Soon to Know, are quite sad and people become quite emotional when they hear them.  We sing songs from his early years then through to the Travelling Wilburys and always finish with Pretty Woman. That gets the audience up on their feet singing and clapping along.
I suppose nowadays the song Crying is also humorous as it’s associated with Only Fools and Horses.
Yes, people see the funny side and sometimes sing along with Cwying.
Do you have any favourites?
I have a couple, one is Leah, which is a beautiful song, and the other is the well-known California Blue.  The latter is personal to me as it was the first song I learned.
It’s a big step from singing on stage at a holiday camp to appearing as Roy on tour.  How did that happen?
It is all thanks to my wife Lynn; she has driven my career along. After that first time, she began to obtain bookings for me to sing at private parties.  It was nerve-wracking, but I learned four or five songs.  They were not all Roy’s songs I sung others too.  It took months to progress and then I began to do live shows, but for five or six years, I was still working at my driving job.  However, I was getting more and more gigs.  Finally, in 2008 I decided that I could not combine both and I quit my job to become a full time performer.
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You play the guitar on stage, do you ever write any songs yourself?
No, I don’t. At the end of the show, I sometimes get people asking me to perform songs that they’ve written, but that doesn’t fit with the type of show I’m doing.
Do you think in the future you’ll ever perform as Barry Steele?
We are in the process of organising just that.  We want to have a different front man so that I can guest and sing as myself.  It will be with the same band and probably be in a couple of years.
You recently achieved the official 2017 UK No.1 National Tribute Music Award; tell me a little about that?
There is a winner’s show in Leicester on July 5th.  The awards are given in recognition of the enormous contribution tribute acts make to the entertainment industry. Initially there is a competition with various bands playing in different categories.  We won the tribute band’s category, and will be performing with all the other artistes who won in their categories.  We’ll be singing three or four songs.  Quite a few important people in the entertainment world turn up to watch.
Do you perform in other countries?
We went to the US to help celebrate what would have been Roy’s 75th birthday.  We met his family, and I sang and jammed with Bill Dees who use to write songs with Roy.  He too has passed away now. Not long ago I also met Wesley, Roy’s surviving son from his first marriage and Alex his son from his second.  We are in touch and Alex has been giving me advice on work in the States.  We’re lined up to do gigs there in 2019. That will be a big challenge.  We also have more European gigs lined up and have performed in New Zealand, Sweden and Ireland. The audiences are fabulous, and in particular Ireland, where we go in November, the feeling there is electric. They go mad, and love the music.
You certainly seem to have become very successful.
Yes, it is a real family affair.  Lynn does all the organising, marketing, bookings, chooses the video footage etc.  She had to give up her full time office job, as we were so busy.  One son is the sound engineer and the other one helps with all the business side.  We also sort out all the technical equipment and even drive the van.
What about your daughter who started the whole thing off?
She’s a dentist and not involved with music at all.


Barry Steele will be appearing at the Palace Theatre September 13th at 8pm- You'll be Crying if you miss it!

Interview: Jacquee Storozynski-Toll

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