Barbara Orbison

Barbara Orbison, widow of rock 'n' roll legend Roy Orbison, died Tuesday after a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. She was 60.  

Orbison was diagnosed with the disease on April 20 of this year at the Mayo Clinic. She was admitted to USC Medical Center in Los Angeles in May under the supervision of Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, associate director of the USC/Norris Gastrointestinal Oncology Program.

On May 13, Orbison underwent the Whipple surgical procedure, performed by Dr. Yuri Genyk. Following her surgery and chemotherapy, she was optimistic about her recovery, but complications from the cancer ultimately resulted in a final re-admittance to USC Medical Center in mid-November. Orbison died peacefully there with her sons Roy Kelton Orbison Jr. (41) and Alexander Orbison (36) by her side. 

Ironically, Orbison was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just days before Roy Orbison's landmark 75th birthday (April 23). Roy and Barbara Orbison had a devoted and enduring love affair, ultimately passing away on the same day, 23 years apart.  

For more than two decades, Orbison has managed the music empire she built as Roy Orbison's manager, keeping his legacy alive. Most recently, she was exceedingly proud of the acclaimed box set she produced with her son Roy, titled Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll (Sony Legacy 2008). This 4-CD package marked the first all-inclusive body of his work from his earliest recordings to the Traveling Wilbury's debut album Mystery Girl (Virgin) and his last live performance. 

Throughout this time period, Orbison also became a respected businesswoman in her own right, developing a diverse music industry empire in Nashville, Tenn.  Her Still Working Music publishing company has consistently represented some of the industry's most successful songwriters and was recently awarded BMI'S 2010 Song of the Year for Taylor Swift's "You Belong to Me."   

In 2009, Orbison was able to fulfill a lifelong dream with the creation of her own fragrance, Pretty Woman Perfume.  She was intimately involved with every step of the development from the blend of scents and the classic design of the bottle to the international marketing sales and promotion of the perfume.

Born Barbara Anne Marie Wellhöner Jakobs in Bielefeld, Germany, she was just 17 when she met Roy Orbison (32) at a nightclub in Leeds, England in 1968. Despite the British Invasion, American rocker Orbison was topping the charts in the UK as well as the U.S. with such smash hits as "Pretty Woman," "Running Scared," and "Crying." The couple married a year later in Henderson, Tenn. They raised their three sons in Nashville and Malibu. 

Orbison will be buried next to her husband at Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Following a private graveside service, the family will announce plans for a Celebration of Life reception at the BMI offices in Nashville. 

Donations in Orbison's memory can be made to the Roy Orbison Foundation, c/o Leeann Hard, Forté Management, 725 Arizona Ave., Ste 206, Los Angeles, CA 90401. For further information, call 310-394-5020 ext. 102 or send an email to leeann@forte.com.   

The family requests that messages be sent to barbara.orbison@orbison.com

For more information on pancreatic cancer and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network—a nationwide network of people dedicated to working together to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer—go to www.pancan.org.