Channelling the one-of-a-kind sincere singing voice and mystique of Roy Orbison can take an emotional toll on a tribute artist, Mike Demers confesses.
However, having spent the past five years emulating the raw emotion and unique musicality made famous by the popular late singer, Demers feels he’s more than up to the challenge.
Fans of Orbison—as well as The Travelling Wilburys and The Everly Brothers—can judge for themselves when Demers and his band, The Lonely, celebrate the music of all three at the Seneca Queen Theatre on Friday, Oct. 25.
Demers, the band’s lead singer, spoke with ThoroldNews from his home in Victoria, B.C. this week, and explained how The Lonely originated.
“I’d been playing in restaurants and started to introduce Roy Orbison music into my set list, and the reaction was very strong, so the drummer and I decided to put together a tribute,” he explained. “We approached a local theatre and it sold out.”
“It’s been a really fascinating journey. What I find after four, five, six, seven shows in a row, is it’s a lot of emotion to re-experience all night long. Certainly I would never sing Crying or It’s Over without experiencing that anguish on my own.”
Asked what attracts adoring fans to the mysterious dark singer, Demers cites Crying as a perfect example of how “the songs speak to experiences that people have in common: heartbreak and dreams and hope. His lyrics paint really clear pictures.”
In addition, said Demers, “He wasn’t a likely rock and roll guy. People identify with him as a person. He was a very unassuming man, who grew up in northern Texas. He required strong prescription glasses and forgot them” for one show so wore dark sunglasses instead, said Demers. “People took to it.”
Orbison’s son told Demers, “He was a recluse, along the lines of Howard Hughes.”
The fact that he wasn’t in the spotlight “added to the mystery of him, but we knew that his sincerity comes through in his songs.”
Claudette was his first big hit in 1958, followed by Only the Lonely in 1961.
“He got 14 encores in front of The Beatles in 1963. The Beatles adored him. George (Harrison) went on to play with him in The Travelling Wilburys. He continued to play on the road through the late 60s and 70s, and ended up opening for The Eagles.”
Orbison and his wife Claudette had three boys, Demers added.
“He divorced her then remarried her, and then she died in a motorcycle accident.”
He had two more sons with Barbara, his second wife, who was instrumental in his comeback.
Tragically, “his two older boys died in a house fire. When people find out about the tragedies, they ascribe that to his music,” but his songs became hits before that happened.
“He enjoyed cars and motorcycles and he had a really good life with his second wife and two kids. Then his life was cut short, just as he was re-emerging. He had a triple bypass at 42; he passed away at 52.”
Orbison died six days before The Travelling Wilburys “shot the video for The End of the Line, but the somber tone they had in the video speaks volumes. They were in awe of him,” said Demers, of fellow band mates Jeff Lynn, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and George Harrison.
An Edmonton native and father of two, Demers has lived in Victoria since 1985, and described his show: “For many people, this concert is a soundtrack of their youth, and nostalgic.”
Brian Miller, publisher and editor of Vivascene, had this to say about the band’s recent show in Kelowna:
“The Lonely delivers a sensitive and dynamic tribute to the one and only Roy Orbison plus the hits of The Travelling Wilburys and The Everly Brothers. Veteran Mike Demers leads this group of musical journeymen in their mutual and deep appreciation of the timeless music of an era. The Lonely approaches the music with a humble spirit and sincere desire to recreate the sounds and feel of the original recordings. The band has been selling out shows right from their debut.
“The sold-out audience was enraptured, and this long-time Orbison fan made a point of seeking out Demers after the concert to praise him personally for the unalloyed music pleasure he and his band had delivered. He is a modest and talented guy with a deep knowledge of the Orbison canon. There are hundreds of tribute bands out there, but not many to compete with The Lonely. The demands of singing such emotional material, and delivering a convincing rendition of the Orbison magic are simply too daunting. Kudos to Demers and his dynamic band for a faultless performance.
“From 1960 to ’64 Roy Orbison landed 22 songs on the Billboard Top 40, including Only The Lonely, Crying, and Oh, Pretty Woman. Mike Demers delivers a spot-on performance of Orbison’s signature sound. Michael has not only a great dynamic range; he has a deep feeling for the emotional qualities of the tunes themselves. With a stellar band behind him, The Lonely is a winning approach to the music of one of the greatest pop singers of all time.
“As a part of The Travelling Wilburys, Orbison brought us End of the Line, Handle With Care and You're Not Alone Anymore. A prolific writer, Orbison pitched Claudette to The Everly Brothers. The track was a co-number one with the Everlys’ All I Have to Do is Dream. The Everly Brothers charted 31 singles on the Hot 100, including 12 top 10 hits. The Everly Brothers are the chart's third-biggest duo ever and their influence has been incredibly wide-ranging. The Lonely delivers their single biggest hit, Cathy’s Clown in a stellar performance.”
Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. at The Seneca Queen Theatre, 4624 Queen St., Niagara Falls. Tickets cost $47.50 (plus facility fee and service charge) at the box office. Charge online.
The Lonely are touring Canada and the U.S. in the coming months. Check out their upcoming shows by visiting their website.
