Joe Melson, a songwriter and musician best known for his influential collaboration with Roy Orbison during the late 1950s and early 1960s, died on July 1 at his home in Nashville. He was 91. Melson’s family confirmed his passing.
Melson and Orbison’s partnership, which began around 1959 in Odessa, Texas, yielded a string of emotionally resonant rock ballads that helped define Orbison’s signature operatic style. Among their notable compositions are the hits “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” and “Running Scared.” Their songs combined Melson’s evocative, often melancholy lyrics with Orbison’s expansive vocal range, which could span three octaves and was marked by a distinctive blues inflection.
Prior to their collaboration, Orbison’s early career included rockabilly tunes such as “Ooby Dooby,” which saw modest success but did not distinguish him significantly on the charts. The two musicians, both members of the local rockabilly scene, connected when Melson initiated a conversation after spotting Orbison practicing a melody in his car. Their songwriting partnership quickly took shape, with Melson primarily focused on lyrical content and Orbison on vocal performance.
Their 1960 release “Only the Lonely” became a breakthrough, reaching No. 2 in the United States and No. 1 in the United Kingdom. The song’s dramatic tone and Latin rhythm helped establish Orbison as an international star. Melson’s backing vocals, including the distinctive “dum-dum, dumby doo wum,” are featured prominently on the track. The song was widely admired, including by Elvis Presley, who reportedly purchased numerous copies to distribute among friends.
Melson’s songwriting continued to yield hits, including “Blue Angel,” inspired by a moment of personal emotion while driving home from the hospital following the birth of his daughter. After relocating to Nashville with Orbison, they produced additional chart successes, including “Running Scared,” which reached No. 1, and “Crying,” which peaked at No. 2 in 1961. Although Melson and Orbison contributed to an early version of “Pretty Woman,” the hit rendition that became famous in 1964 was primarily credited to Orbison and Bill Dees.
The partnership waned after 1963 but briefly resumed in the early 1970s, producing songs like “The World You Live In,” co-written by Melson and his wife Susie. Over the course of their collaboration, Melson and Orbison wrote more than 200 songs, influencing generations of artists including Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney, as well as the rockabilly revival movements of later decades.
Born Claudie Joe Melson on May 11, 1935, in Bonham, Texas, he was the son of a sharecropper and worked alongside his father in his youth. He later moved to Odessa, balancing a clerical job at Standard Oil with night classes before focusing on music full-time. Melson also wrote for other country musicians, including Dan Folger, Don Gibson, and Glenn Barber, and released several recordings as a solo artist.
Melson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. In recent years, he collaborated with Irish-Australian singer Damien Leith, contributing to the 2024 single “Heart Love.” He is survived by his wife Julie Tan, children from previous marriages, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a sister.