By SAM BRIMACOMBE
A childhood listening to ’50s rockers tuned Dean Bourne into the music of Roy Orbison.
Now he’s travelling Australia playing the music of the man dubbed The Big O, with a gig pencilled in for Geelong Performing Arts Centre this Saturday night.
Bourne will appear with the concisely-named Fallon, who will add the songs of Del Shannon in the combined tribute show.
Bourne said he “just kind of fell into” playing Orbison’s music.
“I’ve been playing guitar and singing since I was young. I grew up listening to the music of the 50s, particularly Roy Orbison,” he explained.
“I’ve been doing Orbison for 17 years. I did one Orbison show and then got asked to do another and eventually my own tribute show and here we are today, still going strong.”
Bourne said the show included a seven-piece band playing Orbison hits such as Pretty Woman, Crying, Dream Baby, Leah, Penny Arcade, Danny Boy, Only The Lonely, In Dreams, Candy Man, You Got It, Workin’ For The Man and Running Scared.
Bourne, who has been described as “Australia’s Orbison”, said the appetite for the music of Orbison and Shannon had helped him develop a tour of regional Australia, which continued until November.
“There’s such a big demand for the music,” he explained.
“It’s timeless, it really is, and I think people can relate to Roy’s music, I guess the music of the 50s and 60s in general. It was a very peaceful time.”
