Roy Orbison Jr. is remembering both of his parents on the anniversary of their deaths.
Orbison Jr., the son of music legend Roy Orbison and his second wife Barbara Orbison, took to social media this week to commemorate the day both of his parents died 23 years apart from one another.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Dec. 6, Orbison Jr. marked what he said is the “saddest day of the year” for him, as it is the date both his mother and father died.
Orbison, the iconic singer known for hits like “Oh, Pretty Woman” and “Crying,” died from a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 52. Barbara died 23 years later to the day in 2011, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61.
Orbison Jr., who was 18 years old when his dad died, shared a black-and-white photo of himself being held by both of his parents when he was just a baby.
“Today is the saddest day of the year for me. My Dad died December 6, 1988. And my mother died 23 years later on December 6, 2011,” he wrote in the caption of his Instagram post on Saturday, adding, “Love You Mom & Dad ❤️❤️.”
Orbison Jr., now 55, is one of Orbison’s two children with Barbara. The pair also shared son Alexander “Orbi” Orbison, who was born in 1975.
Prior to his marriage to Barbara, Orbison was married to his first wife Claudette, with whom he shared three children: sons Roy Dewayne, Anthony King and Wesley. Tragically, Claudette died in a motorcycle accident in 1966, and just two years later, their two eldest sons died in a house fire.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.