Towering Songwriter, Roy Orbison Co-Writer Joe Melson Has Died

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Nobody needs to be convinced how titanic the legacy of the incomparable Roy Orbison was to American music, and how that influence still very much remains resonant and immediate up to today. “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” “Blue Bayou,” “Running Scared,” “Blue Angel,” and so many more compositions comprise the very foundation that American music rests upon. Roy’s voice was like no other, and to this day can only be mimicked at best, never bested. Roy’s style was timeless, and universal.

But one aspect of the Roy Orbison story that often goes undertold is that for the songs listed above, and over 120 Roy Orbison compositions total, his co-writer Joe Melson was an essential element to coaxing that Roy Orbison magic out, and putting it on full display. In many ways, he was Roy Orbison’s silent partner, even though that’s him you hear singing “dum, dum, dum, dumby doo-wah” on “Only The Lonely.”

It’s not that Joe Melson went completely unrecognized for his contributions. In 2018, he was dutifully inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. But when he passed away on July 1st, no obituaries populated news feeds. Perhaps that says more about the state of the media than it does the legacy of Joe Melson. The estate of his old friend Roy Orbison didn’t forget though, posting on July 9th,

“A man some called the most unsung hero in songwriting. But to our family, he was something simpler and dearer: the friend who saw what was possible in Roy before the rest of the world did, and who never stopped being proud of what they built together. We send our love to Joe’s family, and our deepest gratitude for a partnership that gave the world “the Roy Orbison sound.” Rest easy, Joe. Thank you for hearing it first.”

Joe Melson was born on May 11th, 1935 in  Bonham, Texas, where he grew up on a farm until he was 16. He would attend High School in Gore, Oklahoma, and later in Chicago before returning to Texas to attend college in Odessa. He showed interest in music from an early age, and joined a band called the Cavaliers while a teenager.

The long-term musical relationship with Roy Orbison started in 1959. According to the family, “Joe Melson tapped on the window of Roy’s car in West Texas. Roy was sitting there, guitar in hand, working out a melody the way he often did. That knock on the glass changed everything. Joe heard something in Roy — a voice built for heartbreak, for the operatic, for songs that didn’t just tell a story but ached. What followed was one of the great songwriting partnerships in American music.”

1960’s “Only The Lonely” co-written with Joe Melson was the song that shot Roy Orbison to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and made Orbison an international superstar. In 1961, Orbison would score his first #1 with “Running Scared,” also co-written with Melson. That was followed up with the #2 “Crying,” another Melson co-write. Now Roy Orbison was one of the most beloved singers in the world.

Joe Melson had his own career as well. Between 1960 and 1963, Melson was signed to publishing house Acuff-Rose Music, and recorded on Hickory Records. But Melson only found moderate success with a handful of singles. Nonetheless, he continued to write, and his legacy extended well beyond Roy Orbison. He co-wrote the #12 hit “Run, Baby Run (Back Into My Arms)” for the Newbeats released in 1965. He also wrote songs for Glenn Barber and Don Folger in a similar relationship to Roy Orbison.

Though Orbison might be best known as a rock icon, the songs he co-wrote with Joe Melson had significant influence on country, as well as country chart success. Sonny James had a #1 country hit with “Only The Lonely” in 1969. Linda Ronstadt’s definitive take on “Blue Bayou” went to #3 in country in 1977. Don McLean had a country hit with “Crying” in 1981.

Roy Orbison’s hit with “Blue Bayou” in 1963 was the songwriting pair’s last major collaboration, though songs they wrote between 1959 and 1963 would go on to be cut by Orbison later. They worked with each other again in 1971, and the collaboration continued again through 1975.

Few songwriting pairs had the success of Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. But isn’t it the fate of the songwriter to be overshadowed by the performer, and unfortunately, forgotten by the rest of music. The fact that it’s a country website writing the first obituary for Joe Melson 14 days after his passing tells you just how overlooked his legacy has been.

But that takes nothing away from the legacy itself. “The most unsung hero in songwriting” is still an incredible legacy to leave behind, as is the catalog of Joe Melson.

He was 91 years old.

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