Rebekah Del Rio, a singer-songwriter beloved for her collaborations with legendary filmmaker David Lynch, has died.
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The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office confirmed she passed away at her Los Angeles home on June 23. No additional details about her death have been released at this time. The singer, iconic for performing “Llorando” in Lynch’s 2001 film Mulholland Drive, was 57.
Her nephew, Dan Coronado, shared the news of her death in a Facebook post on June 25. “Just found out my Tia Becky passed away, and we literally just saw her on Father’s Day,” he wrote alongside several candid family snapshots.
“So grateful the kids got to hear her sing, and also that I didn’t listen to her and secretly recorded the moment. Her stage name was Rebekah Del Rio, and her and my Uncle Phil came up with that name together,” Coronado continued.
“We really were blessed to have a beautiful day with her 2 Sundays ago and I’m so grateful my kids will remember how special it was to hear her God-given talent. Her and my cousin Monique can’t just sing, they can SING SING if you know what I mean,” Coronado recalled.
“Her most famous song is titled ‘Llorando’, which is after Roy Orbison’s song ‘Crying’, which I’m doing right now as I type this out,” he pointed out.
“Thank you for sharing your beautiful gift with the world, Tia. We love you,” he concluded.
How Rebekah Del Rio Came to Collaborate with David Lynch
Lynch and Del Rio first connected in the ’90s through their shared CAA agent, Brian Loucks, according to Variety. At the time, Del Rio was pursuing a country record deal in Nashville for her song “Llorando,” which she performed for Lynch while he secretly recorded it.
The Club Silencio scene in Mulholland Drive, where Del Rio performs a moving Spanish cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” a cappella, is one of the most memorable moments of Lynch’s films.
More than a decade later, the singer-songwriter appeared in Lynch’s series Twin Peaks: The Return and performed “No Stars,” a song inspired by a poem written by Lynch.
Del Rio, born on July 10, 1967, in Chula Vista, California, began her career performing in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles. Her discography includes the 2011 album Love Hurts Love Heals and singles like “No Stars,” “Hallelujah,” and “Adios,” released most recently in 2021.
Her music also features on the soundtracks of Sin City, Man on Fire, and Streets of Legend, according to IMDb. She also appeared the the 2006 thriller, Southland Tales.
According to The Independent, Del Rio performed at a charity screening of Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles just two weeks before her death.
Del Rio’s son, Phillip C. DeMars, passed away in 2009.