‘Mulholland Drive’ Membership Silencio Singer Was 57
Rebekah Del Rio, a singer-songwriter who achieved cinematic legend along with her efficiency of “Llorando” in David Lynch‘s 2001 opus “Mulholland Drive,” died June 23 at her residence in Los Angeles. She was 57 years previous.
Del Rio’s dying was confirmed by the Los Angeles Coroner’s Workplace. No additional particulars about her dying are presently accessible.
Lynch was first launched to Del Rio by their mutual CAA agent Brian Loucks within the mid-’90s. The singer was working underneath a rustic document deal in Nashville, Tenn., which she had landed off of her recording of “Llorando,” a Spanish-language cowl of Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” Upon their assembly, Lynch requested Del Rio to carry out the quantity and covertly recorded her. The efficiency grew to become the idea for the Membership Silencio scene, an addition by Lynch to his by-then-rejected ABC pilot “Mulholland Drive,” which he was remodeling right into a characteristic movie.
The Silencio sequence marks a reality-shattering crescendo to Lynch’s movie — and an emotional crest, with leads Naomi Watts and Laura Harring each bursting into tears whereas viewing Del Rio’s efficiency within the cavernous membership. Whereas the sequence ends with Del Rio’s character fainting, revealing that she had been lip-syncing, the singer belted out the quantity for each take whereas filming.
“There have been many takes. And with each take, I sang alongside, as a result of I felt I needed to produce that very same feeling with the vibrato in my throat so the viewers might see it,” Del Rio informed IndieWire in a 2022 interview. I additionally needed the attractive ladies within the balcony, [the film’s stars] Laura Harring and Naomi Watts, to expertise it stay. They had been current whereas I used to be doing my scene, so I sang to them.”
The transient however memorable efficiency put Del Rio on the map within the movie trade. She was known as upon by writer-director Richard Kelly for his star-studded 2006 sci-fi dystopia “Southland Tales,” by which Del Rio sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” throughout an apocalyptic remaining act. Her vocals will also be heard on the soundtracks for “Sin Metropolis,” “Man on Fireplace” and “Streets of Legend.”
Del Rio’s connection to Lynch continued by the remainder of the filmmaker’s profession. (Lynch died in January on the age of 78.) She carried out alongside Moby in one of many episode-capping roadhouse sequences of Showtime’s revival sequence “Twin Peaks: The Return.” She additionally joined for touring performances of The Purple Room Orchestra Performs the Music of Twin Peaks over latest years. Lower than two weeks earlier than her dying, Del Rio carried out stay at a charity occasion “Mulholland Drive” screening on the Philosophical Analysis Society in Los Angeles.
Born July 10, 1967 in Chula Vista, Calif., Del Rio started performing in San Diego earlier than shifting to Los Angeles. She had a son, Phillip C. DeMars, in 1986. DeMars died in 2009 on the age of 23.