# Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
**Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night** is a 1988 Cinemax television concert special in which the singer [Roy Orbison](https://www.edgepedia.org/roy-orbison) performs his songs with an all-star band and chorus of rock musicians, filmed entirely in black and white. It was recorded on September 30, 1987, before a live audience at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles and broadcast on January 3, 1988, eleven months before Orbison's death on December 6, 1988, at the age of 52.[1](https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-big-o-certainly-wasnt-lonely-on-this-black-and-white-night-9274987/) • [2](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105) • [3](https://www.astro.com/forarch/pdf/1366702917.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | A concert film and Cinemax television special, shot entirely in black and white[2](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105) |
| Recording | September 30, 1987, at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, Los Angeles[1](https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-big-o-certainly-wasnt-lonely-on-this-black-and-white-night-9274987/) |
| Broadcast | Cinemax, January 3, 1988, 9:00 PM[2](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105) |
| Director / executive producer | Tony Mitchell; Barbara Orbison[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/roy-orbison-and-friends-a-black-and-white-night) |
| Guest performers | Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes, J.D. Souther, and T Bone Burnett[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/roy-orbison-and-friends-a-black-and-white-night) |
| Running time | 64 minutes per the American Film Institute; the Paley Center's archive record lists 55:05[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/roy-orbison-and-friends-a-black-and-white-night) • [2](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105) |
| Aftermath | A live album and a VHS release followed the broadcast; Orbison died on December 6, 1988[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roy_orbison_and_friends_black_and_white_night) • [3](https://www.astro.com/forarch/pdf/1366702917.pdf) |
## Production and setting
The special was directed by Tony Mitchell, who also served as cinematographer, with Stephanie Bennett and Albert Spevak as producers and [Barbara Orbison](https://www.edgepedia.org/barbara-orbison), Orbison's widow, as executive producer.[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/roy-orbison-and-friends-a-black-and-white-night) The American Film Institute classifies it as a documentary and musical, produced in the United States in English.[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/roy-orbison-and-friends-a-black-and-white-night) Rotten Tomatoes describes the staging as a 1940s nightclub setting.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roy_orbison_and_friends_black_and_white_night)
The choice of black and white was carried through the whole production: the Paley Center's archive record lists the program's color format simply as B&W.[2](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105)
## The performers
Orbison was joined by an ensemble of guest singers and players: [Jackson Browne](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackson-browne), Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett, J.D. Souther, [Jennifer Warnes](https://www.edgepedia.org/jennifer-warnes), k.d. lang, [Bonnie Raitt](https://www.edgepedia.org/bonnie-raitt), Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Waits.[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/roy-orbison-and-friends-a-black-and-white-night) The Houston Press characterized the lineup as a backing band of players and singers that "wasn't too shabby," and noted that the band also included Elvis Presley's core TCB Band.[1](https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-big-o-certainly-wasnt-lonely-on-this-black-and-white-night-9274987/)
The instrumental credits in the Paley Center record name the rhythm section and sidemen: [James Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-burton) on guitar, Glen D. Hardin on piano, Jerry Scheff on bass, Ron Tutt on drums, Mike Utley on keyboards, and Alex Acuna on percussion.[2](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105) Steven Soles also appears as a performer.[2](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105)
## The performance and set list
Orbison performed his hits, deep cuts, and some new material, and the Houston Press judged him to be "in top form."[1](https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-big-o-certainly-wasnt-lonely-on-this-black-and-white-night-9274987/) A fan-maintained set list on Rotten Tomatoes orders the songs as: "Only the Lonely," "Dream Baby," "The Comedian," "Ooby Dooby," "Leah," "Running Scared," "Uptown," "In Dreams," "Crying," "Candy Man," "Down the Line," "Mean Woman Blues," "It's Over," "[Oh, Pretty Woman](https://www.edgepedia.org/oh-pretty-woman)," and "Dream You."[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roy_orbison_and_friends_black_and_white_night)
The special arrived during a late-career resurgence for Orbison. A 1989 High Fidelity profile described him as experiencing a remarkable career resurgence that included his [Rock and Roll Hall of Fame](https://www.edgepedia.org/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame) induction, with moving testimony from [Bruce Springsteen](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-springsteen), the television special itself, the [Traveling Wilburys](https://www.edgepedia.org/traveling-wilburys), and *Mystery Girl*, his first album of new songs in ten years, finished just before his death.[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-High-Fidelity/80s/High-Fidelity-1989-03.pdf) He had also wrapped up recording of *Mystery Girl*, which would be released posthumously and contain the hit "You Got It."[1](https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-big-o-certainly-wasnt-lonely-on-this-black-and-white-night-9274987/)
## Release history and legacy
A live album was released following the broadcast, and the special was issued on VHS by HBO Video.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roy_orbison_and_friends_black_and_white_night) • [6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-High-Fidelity/80s/High-Fidelity-1989-03.pdf) The concert has since been released in several home video formats, including VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roy_orbison_and_friends_black_and_white_night) For the thirtieth anniversary, the *Black & White Night 30* DVD/CD package was issued by Legacy and Roy's Boys.[1](https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-big-o-certainly-wasnt-lonely-on-this-black-and-white-night-9274987/) The official Roy Orbison site marked the anniversary in 2017, noting that the concert was filmed on September 30, 1987, and releasing five camera angles from the show.[7](https://royorbison.com/black-white-night-turns-30/)
The special also fed directly into later tribute work. When Orbison's widow Barbara organized a 1990 tribute concert to benefit homeless organizations, the music was handled in part by the musicians who had worked on the 1988 special under [T Bone Burnett](https://www.edgepedia.org/t-bone-burnett)'s direction.[8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-23-ca-1302-story.html)
## References
1. [The Big O Certainly Wasn't "Lonely" on This Black & White Night, Houston Press](https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-big-o-certainly-wasnt-lonely-on-this-black-and-white-night-9274987/)
2. [Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night (TV), The Paley Center for Media](https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item?item=T%3A15105)
3. [Roy Orbison (April 23, 1936 to December 6, 1988), Astro Databank PDF](https://www.astro.com/forarch/pdf/1366702917.pdf)
4. [Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night, American Film Institute](https://watch.afi.com/movie/roy-orbison-and-friends-a-black-and-white-night)
5. [Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roy_orbison_and_friends_black_and_white_night)
6. [High Fidelity, March 1989, World Radio History archive](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-High-Fidelity/80s/High-Fidelity-1989-03.pdf)
7. [Black & White Night Turns 30!, royorbison.com](https://royorbison.com/black-white-night-turns-30/)
8. [Roy Orbison Tribute to Benefit the Homeless, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-23-ca-1302-story.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license