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Credit: Far Out \/ The Traveling Wilburys<\/p>\n
Thu 25 June 2026 19:15, UK <\/p>\n
While many people think of the Traveling Wilburys<\/a> as the core group of five friends that first got together for their 1988 debut album, the extended world encompassed many more musicians who were tangentially involved with the group.<\/p>\n For starters, there\u2019s a sixth Wilbury who appeared on all of the band\u2019s recordings<\/a> as their drummer, Jim Keltner. While he wasn\u2019t given official status as a member of the band, given that his nom-de-plume was Buster Sidebury rather than being offered the Wilbury name, he\u2019s still as vital to the band as the five more established figures who were present and handling the songwriting, vocals, and most of the rest of the instrumentation.<\/p>\n However, the unfortunate passing of Roy Orbison shortly after the release of the band\u2019s debut album rocked the group, and while there was plenty of speculation as to how the remaining four members would move forward without their most senior and experienced figure, the quartet opted to go it alone and continue working under the Wilburys name for a short while.<\/p>\n That isn\u2019t to say that other options weren\u2019t considered, though, and despite denying that they auditioned a couple of notable artists as Orbison\u2019s replacement, one figure whose name is repeatedly mentioned in conjunction with the Traveling Wilburys is American songwriter Del Shannon<\/a>. He may not have had as much of an illustrious career as the other members of the group, releasing infrequently for long periods, but he was still inextricably linked to them as both a friend and collaborator whose influence was certainly felt by the rest of the group.<\/p>\n Jeff Lynne, in particular, was a noted fan of Shannon\u2019s, having worked alongside him in the 1970s, so having him be recruited as the new fifth Wilbury wouldn\u2019t have been completely out of the question had they opted to take this route. However, barely a year after Orbison\u2019s death, Shannon would tragically take his own life, making any possibility of a collaboration with the Wilburys, no matter how speculative or in what capacity, completely impossible.<\/p>\n Evidently shaken by the loss of Shannon, a mere 14 months after they had mourned the loss of Orbison, when the band came together to record their second and final album together, they ended up recording a cover of Shannon\u2019s most well-known song, his 1961 number one hit \u2018Runaway\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n While it didn\u2019t end up making the final cut for Traveling Wilburys, Vol 3, its inclusion as the B-side to \u2018She\u2019s My Baby\u2019 was perhaps the most fitting way they could honour the passing of a dear friend, with Lynne and co\u2019s interpretation of the song being an impassioned and faithful rendition. \u201cIt was just a tribute, really,\u201d Lynne claimed shortly after the band had first recorded the track, \u201cIt was just great to see Bob Dylan playing \u2018Runaway\u2019 when we\u2019re just sitting there playing, y\u2019know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Further reading: From The Vault<\/p>\n When questioned as to why they chose to have a stab at someone else\u2019s material, Lynne\u2019s response was straight to the point: \u201cI just thought Del would have approved. \u2018Cause I loved Del. He was a great guy. A very sad loss, that is\u201d.<\/p>\n Shannon may not have ever found himself working alongside the Wilburys, but his presence and influence were so great on them that they simply couldn\u2019t refuse to pay homage to someone who had quietly shaped<\/a> them throughout their respective careers. As far as covers go, those that come from a place of genuine admiration for the original artist tend to be the best, and Lynne, despite the sadness he must have felt following Shannon\u2019s death, absolutely nailed it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/a> The Far Out Classic Rock Newsletter<\/p>\n