Prepare to hear Roy Orbison like you’ve never heard before with a stripped back performance by Irish-Australian singer-songwriter Damien Leith.
The 2006 ‘Australian Idol’ winner will perform Roy Orbison and Friends at Wenty Leagues on February 28.
“About 14 years ago, I released an album of Roy Orbison’s songs that I recorded with his wife Barbara over in Nashville. That was very special, and since then I’ve done different versions of his songs,” Leith began.
“I’ve done it with an orchestra, I’ve done it with a band, and this year I decided to strip it right back to the basics and do something more intimate.”
Leith connected with Barbara Orbison after performing one of her husband’s songs on ‘Australian Idol’.
“When Roy passed away, Barbara took over his entire estate and looked after all his publishing and his legacy. She goes out of her way to keep his name alive,” Leith told Parra News.
“She got in touch with me and asked if I would record an album of his songs to celebrate what would have been his 75th birthday.
“It was amazing to get that call.”
With his upcoming show, Leith will perform key Roy Orbison songs along with songs by the Traveling Wilburys.
“Roy Orbison was amazing, and when you get a band in there with all the electrics you create a rock show, but when you do it acoustically like this, you present the songs in such a different way, and they stand up on their own,” Leith explained.
“From a performing point of view, you’re a lot more exposed – but the songs are as well.
“With this sort of show, you can hear everything crystal clear – every note, every nuance, the whole lot. It really highlights how amazing these songs are.”
The musician grew up listening to Roy Orbison from his hometown in Ireland.
“I came here 23 years ago on a ‘round-the-world’ ticket with my wife for our honeymoon and we’ve never left,” Leith recounted.
“I did the breakfast show at one of the radio stations in Wollongong for seven years, and we love it – it’s a great place to live.
“I’m originally a chemist, but I always played music in bands. Once I won ‘Australia Idol’, I became a full-time musician.”
The singer doesn’t take any of these experiences for granted and feels honoured to sing Orbison’s hits.
“This year marks 20 years since ‘Australian Idol’, and I didn’t choose to sing a Roy Orbison song, it was picked by the audience,” Leith remembered.
“I didn’t even plan on entering Idol – a couple of friends just convinced me to do it. It wasn’t part of my plan, but it’s amazing how it’s all turned out.
“Being a musician is a dream come true.”
Book a ticket to see ‘Damien Leith: Roy Orbison and Friends’ on February 28 online at https://wentyleagues.com.au.
Ally Hall joined the team 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia.