In Starry Orbit Over Orbison

THE SCENE: Backstage at the Universal Amphitheater, where Roy Orbison’s wife, Barbara, organized an all-star tribute Saturday night to her late husband. Proceeds from the concert benefited Los Angeles and national homeless charities; more money will be raised when the concert airs this spring on Showtime. A party underwritten by RC Cola followed the concert. (See Robert Hilburn’s review, F1.)

THE BUZZ: Memories of Roy Orbison circulated backstage--as did news of magazine mogul Malcolm Forbes’ death. (“But I just saw him at the party for Egg,” several stunned people wailed.)

WHO WAS THERE: Barbara Orbison and emcees Gary Busey, Dean Stockwell, Patrick Swayze and Bernie Taupin. And a list of stars, including: Grammy Award winners Bonnie Raitt and k.d. lang; Lyle Alzado; the Byrds (three of whom reunited for the event--David Crosby, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman); T Bone Burnett; Rodney Crowell; John Fogerty; Emmylou Harris; Levon Helm; John Hiatt; John Lee Hooker; Chris Isaak; B.B. King; Michael McDonald; NRBQ; Iggy Pop; Katey Sagal; Harry Dean Stanton; the Stray Cats; Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison; Was (Not Was); and Dwight Yoakam. Surprises backstage included Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Dylan and David Lynch. Most of the performers avoided the after-party.

DRESS CODE: Anything and everything, from Iggy Pop’s leopard-skin vest and baseball cap to lang’s double-breasted black suit with white carnation.

CHOW: Lots of RC Cola for the audience, plus cold cuts, a taco bar and fresh fruit backstage.

PRETTY WOMAN: “Gee, this is going to come off all over your shirt,” Raitt said as she signed a musician’s guitar backstage. The musician, of course, didn’t care. Raitt, riding high on her quadruple Grammy Award wins, was refreshingly unpretentious; when there were no seats available in the Green Room, she parked herself on the floor to watch the concert.

QUOTED: “Young lady, there are to be no pictures taken of Bob Dylan,” a guard snapped at a photographer who had just shot Whoopi Goldberg. The guard’s rudeness was completely understandable--after all, Bob and Whoopi look so similar.

TRIUMPHS: Proceeds from the concert mainly benefited established charities with excellent track records for helping the homeless, instead of quintessentially California groups that want to set up arts centers where homeless people can “express themselves creatively.”

GLITCHES: Only one bathroom in the Green Room.