Rebekah Del Rio, Voice of “Llorando” inMulholland Drive, Passes at 57
It's with a heavy heart that I reflect on the passing of the extraordinary Rebekah Del Rio. She left this world on June 23rd at the age of 57, in her Los Angeles home. Many of us will forever remember her haunting and emotionally raw performance of “Llorando” in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive . That moment in the Club Silencio scene wasn’t just iconic—it was transcendent.
Rebekah wasn’t just a singer; she was a vessel of feeling, someone who could pour soul into a single note. Born in Chula Vista, California, and having started her career in San Diego, she went on to sign a country music deal in Nashville. But it was her Spanish-language rendition of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” that truly set her apart. That song—"Llorando"—caught the attention of David Lynch, thanks to their shared agent Brian Loucks. When they met, Lynch asked her to perform it. He recorded her in secret, moved by the depth in her voice. That recording would go on to anchor what became one of the most unforgettable moments in cinema.
What made the Mulholland Drive scene so special was not just Del Rio’s voice—it was the way she embodied the pain, beauty, and mystery Lynch’s film was built upon. As Naomi Watts and Laura Harring sat in the shadows of Club Silencio, overwhelmed with emotion, we too felt that ache. Rebekah sang the song live for every take, even though the scene was meant to depict lip-syncing. She wanted the actresses, and the audience, to feel it live. And we did.
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Her presence in film didn’t end there. She lent her voice to Southland Tales , Sin City , Man on Fire , and Streets of Legend , among others. She was also part of Twin Peaks: The Return , performing at the Roadhouse with Moby, and had recently been performing with The Red Room Orchestra on tour.
Just two weeks before her death, she was on stage again, performing live at a special screening of Mulholland Drive in L.A. It was a fitting tribute to a legacy deeply interwoven with that very film.
Beyond the stage, she was a mother. Her son, Phillip C. DeMars, passed away in 2009 at just 23. Life had dealt her deep sorrows, but she poured all of it into her music.
Rebekah Del Rio’s voice will echo forever in the corners of cinema and the hearts of those who felt her songs. She was a singular talent, and her departure is a profound loss for music, for film, and for every soul touched by that unforgettable sound in Club Silencio.
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