Songs
Joe co-wrote the songs that sky-rocketed Roy Orbison's career in the early 60's. These hits included, among others, "Only The Lonely," "Running Scared," "Crying" and "Blue Bayou." Additionally, Joe was an integral part of developing Roy's signature sound and, in the process, created a new musical style: the dramatic rock ballad. He sang backup on most of the early hits and at live performances.
Joe's voice is the first one heard on "Only The Lonely" singing the "dum, dum, dum, dumbe do wah" that set the stage for Roy's powerhouse vocals. Other notable hits written by Joe and Roy include: "Blue Angel," "I'm Hurtin'," "The Crowd," "Up Town" and the black-clad singer's 1967 comeback, "Cry Softly Lonely One." Joe wrote over 40% of Roy's BMI award winning songs. Roy may have been a legendary recording artist, but it takes friends and legendary songwriters like Joe Melson to make it all come together.
The first charted hit Joe wrote with Roy in the USA was "Uptown." It was on the B-side of single "Pretty One." "Only the Lonely" came next and soared to the top of the charts. Joe and Roy originally planned to offer this song to Elvis Presley. Although disappointed at the time that Elvis did not receive them the morning they came to Graceland unannounced, this proved to be the biggest break for Joe and Roy. The version sung by Roy shaped Rock n' Roll in a new way that may never have happened otherwise.
Joe, Roy, and Ray Rush wrote the song "Pretty Woman" in 1962. Later on Roy and Bill Dees rewrote the song and titled it "Oh Pretty Woman." Curtis Byrd & the Joe-Rag Singers put the original out on Candix label in 1962. Joe had written most of "Only The Lonely" before he meet Roy in Texas. The song's style would turn out to be the root that permeated the rest of Roy's career.
Joe Melson recorded several singles of his own for Hickory Records(one displayed above), EMP, and Shue Records. Joe also wrote songs for other artists such as Dan Folger, The Newbeats, Ernie Ashworth and others(see"Who Has Performed Joe's Songs). His songs have been re-released by numerous artists in the U.S. and in Europe, and have been included in many soundtracks.
Song Lists
See Songs Written by Joe Melson Here
See Who Has Performed Joe's Songs? Here
See Other Artist Of Interest Here
Videos
Interview
What Others Are Saying
Bobby Seymour, Steel Guitarist ~~ It is kind of a secret. What I can say is that it is a musical project which should cross all boundaries. It is the kind of music, hardcore country people will love as well as hardcore rock and pop people, everybody will like it. I do not think that you can put a label on this music. It is very exciting, very big and very rhythmic and should appeal to listeners from little kids to adults as old as they come. We are working very hard on this CD. I am working with Joe Melson, who wrote all those great Roy Orbison standards like "Blue Bayou", Crying", "Only The Lonely" and so many more and he will be critiquing, inspiring, guiding, helping and doing that kind of thing and of course Joe’s writing partner, Larry Dever, who is also working very hard for me on this project. The band leader, arranger, conductor is Dan Borgers, who used to work with Glen Campbell. There are several people that are putting a real big effort into this. I am excited about the quality of people who are with me on this project.
Bill Morrison, Artist ~~ In 1971 Joe was my producer at Empire Records in Nashville. We had worked together at the Golden Nuggett in Las Vegas for two weeks, with the Grand Ole Opry Show of Ernie Ashworth. Nancy Dee, who ran the Demon's Den on lower Broadway in Nashville, was also on the show. I don't know if its true, but I was told that Nancy was Webb Pierce's daughter. She was a very talented singer. Every afternoon Nancy would play Black Jack. Always at the same Golden Nuggett table, with the same dealer. After leaving the table she would find me, or one of the band members, and hand over enough chips to buy supper for the band and me. What the heck, she knew that the opening act never gets rich, and I had been an opening act for over a decade now. Joe Melson wrote most of Roy Orbison's hit records, and was an excellent singer himself. For two days prior to leaving for Las Vegas, we rehearsed a band at his home. He lived across the lake from Johnny and June Cash in Hendersonville. We fired that band before we left for Vegas, and hired a band out of Canada.
Duane Hitchings, Songwriter/Keyboardist ~~ I am working with one of my heroes, Joe Melson. That is a thrill because Joe is a genius, the man who wrote most of the Roy Orbison hits. They influenced the Stones, the Beatles and everybody else and of course Roy Orbison was Elvis' favorite singer. Between Joe and Larry Dever and I, we have a lot of fun right here. This is a work of love that we are creating right now - it's wonderful.
Boudleaux Bryant, Artist/Writer ~~ It would be a unpardonable oversight to overlook the contribution of Joe Melson to Roy's meteoric rise to stardom. Together, they developed the style of writing which has served as such a perfect vehicle for voice. It is a tribute to their ability as a team that other artists are beginning to latch on to their material.