Greg Mitchell is the author of more than a dozen books and now writer/director of three award-winning films aired via PBS, including “Atomic Cover-up” and “Memorial Day Massacre.” Now watch trailer for acclaimed 2025 film “The Atomic Bowl.” Before all that, he was a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy. At Blue Sky and Twitter: as @gregmitch. You can still subscribe to this newsletter for FREE. Sustain this newsletter by ordering one of his books.
Sixty-five years ago this week, Roy Orbison recorded a song that he co-wrote, after Elvis and the Everly Brothers turned it down. It would make him a sudden star—one of our biggest for the next half dozen years. The song was “Only the Lonely.” I’ve written here previously about my long association with Roy, first as a huge fan, then interviewing him for Crawdaddy at a career low point and then writing liner notes, at his personal request, for a comeback album that did not…spark a comeback.
Until I got my then-pal Bruce Springsteen to re-listen to Roy classics, leading soon after to the line that sparked the true Orbison revival, from the “Thunder Road” opening, “Roy Orbison singing for the lonely…..” Rolling Stone would later report: “Right before Bruce Springsteen recorded Born to Run, he'd lay in bed every night and listen to ‘Roy Orbison’s Greatest Hits.”’
Where did he get that album? I had given him my own copy of that two-record set, with the plain white cover, on one of his visits to our office. (Bruce talks about listening to it here.)
Bruce, in fact, has talked a lot about Roy—and gave his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech—and much has been written about how his own breakthrough album, “Born to Run,” evolved in fits and starts. There’s far too much to recount here, but I remember it well. I attended some of the early sessions for the album at a studio in suburban Blauvelt, N.Y., which is just over the hill from where I now live (it’s now defunct but there’s a historic marker there). I’ve read claims that the album at one point was set to open with “Only the Lonely” playing on a car radio before Bruce eased into the song. Not sure if that is true, though.
And here’s my little four-minute video about me and Roy.
Here’s Roy singing the classic song, in 1960, a rare clip that finds him without his trademark thick glasses or shades.
….and a nice Chris Isaak version:
Meanwhile, Patti Smith at tribute for her in NYC on Wednesday, and you will spot Bruce and other famous faces/singers, on “People Have the Power.” Bruce also did their co-authored “Because the Night.”
My off and on posting of Stephen Colbert’s previous night’s monologues seem to be very popular here (by the numbers), so here is yesterday’s:
…and Jimmy Kimmel:
Because of how incredibly sloppy they are, a German newspaper, Der Spiegel, was able to find personal email addresses, phone numbers and passwords — some of which seem to be still in use — for Mike Waltz, Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth. What a group.
From Tunes to Toons
Barry Blitt’s cover for next week’s New Yorker, titled “Left to Their Own Devices”:
This just in, from Greenland:
Appreciate the daily consistency for these insightful political cartoons; lightens the load just a little bit.
Ah, Gregg, always a pleasure to visit your site, Steven Colbert has been a part of my daily
routine followed by Meanwhile
Always makes me think and laugh which is helpful these days and was during tRUMPS first
term
Used to read Crawdaddy which was certainly one-of-a-kind way back then
Gracias Mi Amigo