Today's Top Picks
Click a day to view events
Search for things to do
- Events
- Movies
- Dining
- Venues
Arts
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Roy Orbison comes to Tempe, as memorabilia exhibit | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Albert Ching, Get Out | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 24, 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
He owns gold records, autographed guitars, signed promotional photos — even a 1985 black Porsche convertible once owned by the rock ’n’ roll pioneer, who died in 1988. Agritelley, a Dallas-based entrepreneur and a singer and musician himself, has dedicated much of his life to being the undisputed pre-eminent collector of Roy Orbison memorabilia. “There’s just something special about Roy’s music that really touched me early on, and it stayed with me,” he says. Agritelley isn’t alone in his admiration of the singer/songwriter responsible for ’50s and ’60s hits like “Only the Lonely” and “Oh, Pretty Woman”; he found a kindred soul in Peter Lehman, director of Arizona State University’s Center for Film, Media and Popular Culture. Lehman, also a fan of the bespectacled crooner, published “Roy Orbison: Invention of an Alternative Rock Masculinity,” the 2003 book about how Orbison represented a strong contrast to super-macho contemporaries like Elvis Presley and pretty boy singers like Frankie Avalon.
He and Agritelley corresponded online about the book, which led Lehman to ask Agritelley if he’d be interested in bringing his collection to Tempe as part of a Roy Orbison-themed weekend, which also includes a screening of “Roadie,” a 1980 film featuring Orbison’s music, and a sold-out tribute concert. Tempe is the first city to exhibit Agritelley’s collection, but he’s hoping other cities follow. “If others would have it, I would love to do it,” he says. “It certainly will help perpetuate the legacy of Roy and keep his memory and music alive, which I think is very, very relevant.” Lehman stresses that this exhibit is very different than rock ’n’ roll memorabilia hanging up at a Hard Rock Cafe. “There’s a huge difference,” he says. “We’ve curated a show much like you curate an art show so that it has a historical, educational context where people will learn things about the works, rather than saying, 'Oh, isn’t that cool, Roy Orbison played that guitar.'" DETAILS "Mercy: A Roy Orbison Pilgrimage"When: Exhibit opens Friday, Jan. 25, and is open through April 18. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. “Roadie” screening 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. Where: Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway Cost: Free for exhibit and screening, but tickets for “Roadie” must be reserved in advance Information: (480) 350-2822 or tempe.gov/tca Contact Albert Ching by email, or phone (480) 898-5688 |
Rate this article
© 2008 East Valley Tribune. All rights reserved.
Reader comments (0)
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Responsibility lies solely with the comment author.