In early December 1988, a heart attack would take Roy Orbison’s life, putting an end to one of the most iconic supergroups, the Traveling Wilburys, as the world came to know them since their album debut two months earlier. The lineup was almost absurdly good, featuring five musicians who were all rock stars in their own rights: Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty. With their star power combined, the world was their oyster.
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Orbison’s death sent shockwaves through his new bandmates, who had come to develop a friendship that superseded the business side of things by that point. In the wake of Orbison’s passing, Petty discovered a common misconception about their well-oiled machine of a supergroup.
Tom Petty Discovered A Common Traveling Wilburys Misconception
The Traveling Wilburys didn’t need to work hard to capture the attention of critics and music lovers in the late 1980s. With a lineup as star-studded as theirs, one could reasonably assume what they were getting into when hearing a band that included a former Beatle, the founder of Electric Light Orchestra, a bona fide folk revival legend, and two rock stars at the height of their careers. The band’s 1988 debut, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, went triple-platinum in the U.S. and won the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. They captured lightning in a bottle.
But just as quickly as they caught it, that spark disappeared from their reach with the unexpected death of Roy Orbison. Unsurprisingly, the press quickly began circulating rumors about who might replace the late guitarist. Their hypotheses revealed a common misconception about the band that they likely never would have identified had their lineup not changed. In a 1989 interview with John Tobler, Tom Petty mused that the Who’s Roger McGuinn would be a reasonable replacement for Orbison. He said a folkie like David Crosby was less likely but that Neil Young was “Wilbury material.”
Ultimately, though, the idea that they would audition a new guitarist went against the ethos of the group. The Wilburys were never cast. That’s what I have to keep reminding people of,” Petty said. “We weren’t brought in even because of who we were. It’s just that we were all there. That was the bunch that was there. That was the bunch that was friends and was enjoying being there. If we hadn’t liked each other, if somebody had been an a** or anything, we wouldn’t have happened. There’s no reason.”
An Abrupt End To A Spontaneous Journey
The Traveling Wilburys only released one other album after their 1988 debut. Their sophomore album, Vol. 3, was a sly reference to a bootleg that appeared between the band’s official releases that served as a de facto second volume. Their second and final album came out two days before Halloween 1990 and included a dedication to Roy “Lefty Wilbury” Orbison. The Wilburys opted not to replace Orbison, proceeding as a quartet instead. After that album came another important question: what next?
All four surviving members of the Traveling Wilburys were busy solo musicians. While they often discussed whether to go on tour, release another album, or continue working on this musical endeavor at all, the conversations often drifted elsewhere with no actual conclusion. Petty would later say of a continuation of the Wilburys, “I don’t think anybody ever took it seriously. I think it would ruin it in a way. Then you’re obligated to be responsible, and it’s not in the character of that group. It would make it very formal, and that would be the wrong spirit.”
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