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Tributes paid to 'Mulholland Drive' singer Rebekah Del Rio, who has died aged 57: "There truly are no more stars"

Published 9 hours ago4 minute read

Tributes have been paid to singer-songwriter Rebekah Del Rio, who has died aged 57.

Del Rio, who sang a haunting rendition of ‘Llorando’ in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, died on Monday (June 23) in her Los Angeles home. No cause of death has been given.

Her nephew, Dan Coronado, confirmed the news on Facebook, writing (via The Independent): “Just found out my Tia Becky passed away, and we literally just saw her on Father’s Day. So grateful the kids got to hear her sing, and also that I didn’t listen to her and secretly recorded the moment.”

He added that she had a “God-given talent” for singing, writing: “Her most famous song is titled ‘Llorando’, which is named after Roy Orbison’s song ‘Crying’, which I’m doing right now as I type this out. Thank you for sharing your beautiful gift with the world Tia. We love you.”

Once news of her death emerged, many fans revisited her performance in Lynch’s 2001 surrealist thriller, saying her voice was “haunting” and “devastatingly beautiful”. In the pivotal scene, Del Rio appears to be singing live at Club Silencio, but her voice is heard after she faints and falls to the floor, with Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring’s characters moved to tears.

RIP to Rebekah Del Rio, the haunting siren in one of the greatest film scenes ever, whose Spanish cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying" can be felt etching yourself in your soul with each note. Grateful that her beautiful, ethereal voice will remain immortalized. pic.twitter.com/4nGw9sbMzg

— he's a cinema gay! (@atrulycinemagay) June 27, 2025

Rebekah del Rio (1967 — 2025) 💔pic.twitter.com/xoEnofpPkI

— Lost In Film (@LostInFilm) June 27, 2025

rebekah del rio, may her soul rest in peace. her voice and this scene will always stay with me. pic.twitter.com/6FuCH3X7YP

— a. (@sapphicmacbeth) June 27, 2025

Gutted to hear of Rebekah Del Rio’s passing. A tremendous voice and devastatingly beautiful performance that has haunted me ever since I saw Mulholland Drive, and floored me all over again in The Return. I take solace that she is with David now. There truly are no more stars. pic.twitter.com/hRMIioKHSN

— Jake Tropila (@JakeTropila) June 27, 2025

R.I.P. Rebekah Del Rio

her singing Llorando, a cover of Roy Orbison's equally heartbreaking Crying, is forever etched into my brain & I'm just learning that her transcendent voice we hear on screen was recorded inside David Lynch's house without Del Rio knowing.

That voice! pic.twitter.com/XjbWyfh9BE

— በአንድአምላክ ይመኑ። (@BandamlakYimenu) June 27, 2025

The track that plays out in the film was covertly recorded by Lynch upon his first meeting with Del Rio, although she previously told IndieWire she sang on every take.

“There were many takes,” she recalled in 2022. “And with every take, I sang along because I felt I had to produce that same feeling with the vibrato in my throat so the audience could see it.

“I also wanted the beautiful girls in the balcony, Laura Harring and Naomi Watts, to experience it live. They were present while I was doing my scene, so I sang to them. David uses live mics when he’s filming, by the way. He’s always listening.”

Rebekah Del Rio's words to David Lynch:

"No stars…" pic.twitter.com/rt2MUI4UUV

— Black Lodge Cult (@BlackLCult) January 20, 2025

Following the memorable moment, Del Rio went on to sing in films including Southland Tales and Sin City. She also reunited with Lynch in 2017 with Twin Peaks: The Return, where she joined by Moby in ‘Part 10’ of the iconic cult TV show’s revival series, where she performed ‘No Stars’.

The track was taken from her 2011 album, ‘Love Hurts Love Heals’, and was based on a poem Lynch had handed her during one of their meetings. Nodding its title, fans have taken to social media to say there are now “no stars” left following the deaths of Del Rio and Lynch this year.

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