American Songwriter

The Story Behind the Only Song Roy Orbison Wrote With Dear Friend Johnny Cash in 1969

In 1958, Johnny Cash recorded “You Tell Me” with the Tennessee Two at Sun Records in May of 1958. Written by friend Roy Orbison, it was one of Cash’s final recordings with the label before moving to ...
American Songwriter

The Final Song Roy Orbison Wrote Was a “Gift From God,” Later Recorded by His Children and John Carter Cash

After Orbison finished writing the song, he went into a room in his house, sat on the bed, said a prayer, and cried tears of joy.
The Cheat Sheet

Roy Orbison’s Cover of an Elvis Presley Song Was a Bigger Hit Than the Original

One of Elvis Presley’s songs became a top 5 hit for Roy Orbison. Tom Petty said a lyric from Elvis’ song “was pretty heavy stuff for a little kid like [him] to hear.” Petty recalled seeing the King of ...
Tampa Bay Times

Ruling: Parody exempt from copyright law

The Supreme Court, ruling on a rap version of the rock classic Oh, Pretty Woman, has enhanced the ability of writers of parodies to exploit original songs. For the first time, the justices clearly ...