Singer-songwriter Rebekah Del Rio, known for her haunting performance in David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive,” died June 23 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 57 years old.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed Del Rio’s death, though no cause has been disclosed. The primary cause of death is currently listed as deferred, requiring additional studies and tests that could take several months to complete.
Del Rio gained international recognition for her emotionally powerful performance of “Llorando” in the Club Silencio scene of Lynch’s 2001 thriller. Her Spanish-language rendition of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” served as a pivotal moment in the film, where she appeared with smudged mascara and a crystal teardrop on her cheek, delivering the song a cappella before collapsing on stage.
Born July 10, 1967, in Chula Vista, California, Del Rio began her musical career in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles in 1989. She later relocated to Nashville where she signed with Giant Records, but a car accident derailed those ambitions. Del Rio reflected on this setback, indicating that some man crashed into her and basically stole her opportunity, and she saw her own dream die.
Her collaboration with Lynch began in the mid-1990s when their mutual agent Brian Loucks arranged an introduction. During a meeting at Lynch’s home studio, the director asked Del Rio to perform “Llorando,” which she had already recorded as part of her repertoire. Lynch secretly recorded the impromptu performance and later incorporated it into “Mulholland Drive.”
Del Rio told IndieWire in 2022 that she described their whirlwind meeting as lasting only the length of one and a half songs, two cigarettes, and a cup of coffee. Lynch praised her performance with characteristic flair, telling her “Ding dang, Rebekah Del Rio, that was aces.”
During filming, although the scene depicted her character lip-syncing to a pre-recorded track, Del Rio insisted on singing live during every take. She explained that she felt compelled to produce the same feeling with the vibrato in her throat so the audience could see it, and wanted the actresses Laura Harring and Naomi Watts to experience the performance live.
Del Rio’s decision to record “Llorando” in Spanish was inspired by the 1995 murder of Tejano pop star Selena, which devastated Del Rio and the Hispanic community. She had been performing Orbison’s “Crying” a cappella since the early 1990s, often choosing to sing it without instrumentation because bands had difficulty with some of the chord changes.
Following her breakthrough in “Mulholland Drive,” Del Rio continued collaborating with Lynch, appearing in “Twin Peaks: The Return” in 2017. She performed “No Stars” alongside Moby at the fictional Bang Bang Bar, singing a song based on a poem Lynch had written and handed to her during one of their meetings.
Her musical contributions extended beyond Lynch’s projects. Del Rio lent her voice to soundtracks for “Sin City,” “Southland Tales,” “Man on Fire,” and “Streets of Legend.” Her discography includes albums “Nobody’s Angel” (1994), “All My Life – Toda Mi Vida” (2003), and “Love Hurts Love Heals” (2011).
Del Rio was of Mexican, Italian, and Sephardic heritage and worked as a country singer before meeting Lynch. She performed a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” to honor her son Phillip C. DeMars, who died of cancer in 2009 at age 23. She described getting lost in the music and feeling like she was in a trance during performances of Cohen’s ballad.
Her nephew Dan Coronado confirmed her death in a Facebook post June 25, expressing gratitude that his children had recently heard her sing on Father’s Day. He praised her God-given talent and noted that her stage name was created in collaboration with his Uncle Phil. Coronado reflected on their recent family gathering, describing it as a beautiful day where his children experienced the special nature of her vocal abilities.
Just weeks before her death, Del Rio performed at a charity event for the Philosophical Research Society. She also participated in the No Hay Banda Tour in 2022, celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Mulholland Drive.”
Del Rio once described how her voice naturally lent itself to sadness because she carried grief inside. Like the late singer Julee Cruise, Del Rio’s voice became inextricable from Lynch’s cinematic world, contributing to the uncanny atmosphere that defined his films and television work.
