Barry’s tribute to ‘Big O’

His uncanny ability to recreate the vocal talents of the distinctive and legendary singer has earned him rave reviews across the globe.

His stage show The Roy Orbison Story has also won critical acclaim – including being named Best Theatre Tour at the 2019 National Tribute Awards.

It recently made its West End debut at The Adelphi in London as well as playing at the 1,600-seater Benidorm Palace in Spain and is touring Holland and Belgium to sold out venues.

And on January 28, Barry, who is from Halesowen, will be bringing the top-class production to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre to entertain fans.

“I am backed in this all live multi-media show, by not only a fabulous band and musicians, but also 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,” he tells Weekend.

Before his musical career took off, Barry served in the RAF and was stationed at RAF Waddington, Scampton and RAF Tongeren in Belgium.

During his time in the forces, Barry refuelled both Vulcan Bombers The Ladies of the Sky and The Red Arrows. He also drove the green goddesses during the fireman’s strike in 1977.

After leaving the RAF he became a long distance lorry driver, and it was during those long lonely hours out on the road that be began singing to artists as diverse as Michael Jackson, Wet Wet Wet and Chris Rea.

But it was during a family holiday in Cornwall in 2001 that he took the first steps towards becoming a professional singer.

“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,” explains Barry.

He developed the show from scratch and his vision was to deliver those much-loved songs to fans in the same manner in which they were originally performed.

Known for his soaring voice and carefully crafted ballads of loneliness and heartache, singer-songwriter Orbison had his first UK number one single in 1960, with Only The Lonely.

The song had been turned down by The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley so Texas-born Orbison decided to record it himself.

It was the first of 33 UK hits including Oh Pretty Woman, which with its memorable guitar riff sold around seven million copies in 1964 alone.

He later became a member of the Traveling Wilburys, which boasted a line-up of Orbison, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne.

His songs were also recorded by the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rick Nelson and Johnny Cash and among his honours were inclusion in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989 and a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1998.

“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,” says Barry whose favourite tracks are California Blue and Leah.

While Orbison has been a huge inspiration for Barry, he also has great admiration for another performer with a big voice.

“The person that has inspired me the most was my uncle and namesake, another Barry Steele, who was on the circuit in the 60s and 70s.

“He had and still has the most amazing voice, on par with Harry Seycombe,” he tells us.

Since launching the tribute show Barry has toured across New Zealand, Holland, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Ireland.

And while in the US Barry even sang in front of Roy’s son Wesley and also duetted with Bill Dees the co-writer of many of Orbison’s songs.

Barry is joined on stage by a five-piece band and sensational guest pianist Boogie Williams as the production presents original material written but never sung by Orbison.

It also features chart-busting hits originally performed by Jerry Lee Lewis, Procol Harum, Del Shannon, ELO, Tom Petty, Chris Isaak, The Spencer Davis Group and culminates in a special accolade as the whole cast comes together to pay homage to the original super group, The Traveling Wilburys

“I am so proud of our show. We were told by so many promoters it would not work. So my wife said ‘we don’t need them, we will do it ourselves’. Everything you see has been achieved by our family,” says Barry.

* The Roy Orbison Story plays Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Tuesday, January 28 at 7.30pm. For tickets see www.grandtheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01902 429212.