Ep. 58 - JOE MELSON ("Only the Lonely")
b'Joe Melson co-wrote more than 200 songs with Roy Orbison, including over half of Roy\\u2019s sixteen Monument Records singles that appeared on the\\xa0Billboard\\xa0chart between 1960 and 1963. Their first major hit together was \\u201cOnly the Lonely,\\u201d a style-defining performance featuring Orbison on lead vocals and Melson on the prominent counter melody. The pair followed up their success with a string of hits, including \\u201cBlue Angel,\\u201d \\u201cRunning Scared,\\u201d and \\u201cCrying.\\u201d Legendary songwriter Boudleaux Bryant once wrote, \\u201cIt would be an unpardonable oversight to overlook the contribution of Joe Melson to Roy\\u2019s meteoric rise to stardom.\\u201d In the 1960s Joe landed his own record deal with the Hickory label, while continuing to pen songs for other artists. His successes in that era include The Newbeats\\u2019 Top 10 pop single \\u201cRun, Baby Run (Back Into My Arms)\\u201d and Don Gibson\\u2019s Top 40 country hit \\u201cEver Changing Mind.\\u201d In subsequent years the team of Melson and Orbison reunited, working together as both co-writers and producers. Linda Ronstadt covered their \\u201cBlue Bayou\\u201d in 1977, making it a Top 5 hit on both the country and pop charts. Credited with creating the template for the dramatic rock ballad, Melson has won multiple BMI awards. \\u201cBlue Bayou\\u201d was named one of BMI\\u2019s Top 100 Songs of the Century, \\u201cOnly the Lonely\\u201d is among Rolling Stone\\u2019s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and \\u201cCrying\\u201d appears on both the BMI and Rolling Stone lists. Most recently, Melson joined forces with Australian Idol winner Damien Leith. The pair have released several singles since 2013 and continue to collaborate. Joe was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2002.'