Singer-songwriter Rebekah Del Rio, best known for her haunting performance in David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive,” died June 23 at her residence in Los Angeles. She was 57 years old.
Del Rio’s death was confirmed through the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office, though no cause of death has been disclosed. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner listed the primary cause of death as deferred.
Born July 10, 1967, in Chula Vista, California, Del Rio began her career performing in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles in 1989. She achieved cinematic legend through her performance of “Llorando” in Lynch’s 2001 film “Mulholland Drive,” where she appeared as the siren of Club Silencio, introduced as “La Llorona de Los Angeles.”
The collaboration between Del Rio and Lynch began in the mid-1990s when their mutual CAA agent Brian Loucks introduced them. At the time, Del Rio was working under a country record deal in Nashville, Tennessee, which she had secured based on her recording of “Llorando,” a Spanish-language cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying.”
During their first meeting, Lynch asked Del Rio to perform the song and covertly recorded her. This performance became the foundation for the Club Silencio scene, which Lynch added to his previously rejected ABC pilot “Mulholland Drive” as he reworked it into a feature film.
In the iconic scene, Del Rio appeared in front of a red velvet curtain with smudged mascara and a crystal teardrop on her cheek, delivering a moving a cappella performance that brought tears to the characters portrayed by Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. The sequence ends with Del Rio’s character fainting, revealing that she had been lip-syncing, though Del Rio actually sang the song during every take while filming.
Del Rio explained her approach to the performance in a 2022 interview with IndieWire, stating that she sang during every take because she felt she had to produce the same feeling with the vibrato in her throat so the audience could see it. She also wanted the film’s stars to experience the performance live, as Lynch uses live microphones when filming.
The memorable performance launched Del Rio’s film career. Writer-director Richard Kelly cast her in his 2006 science fiction film “Southland Tales,” where she sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the apocalyptic final act. Her vocals also appeared on soundtracks for “Sin City,” “Man on Fire,” and “Streets of Legend.”
Del Rio’s connection to Lynch continued throughout the filmmaker’s career. She performed alongside Moby in one of the roadhouse sequences of Showtime’s revival series “Twin Peaks: The Return,” singing her dreamy rock ballad “No Stars.” She also participated in touring performances of The Red Room Orchestra Plays the Music of Twin Peaks in recent years.
Her other screen credits include “This Teacher,” “2307: Winter’s Dream,” and “Rabbits.” Before her work with Lynch, Del Rio had gained popularity in the Netherlands during the mid-1990s for the title track of her debut album “Nobody’s Angel.”
Del Rio’s music career faced setbacks when she moved to Nashville to advance her career after signing with Giant Records. A car accident interrupted those ambitions, and she later described seeing her own dream die as a result of the incident.
Despite these challenges, Del Rio continued pursuing music, collaborating with Il Divo, producer Heather Holley, and composer Danny Elfman. Her discography includes her 2011 album “Love Hurts Love Heals,” a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and her 2021 single “Adios.”
Less than two weeks before her death, Del Rio performed live at a charity event featuring a “Mulholland Drive” screening at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles.
Del Rio had a son, Phillip C. DeMars, born in 1986, who died of cancer in 2009 at age 23. Lynch, who died in January at age 78, was remembered by Del Rio as one of several musical collaborators including “Twin Peaks” composer Angelo Badalamenti and singers Julee Cruise and Chrystabell.
Chrystabell, who starred alongside Lynch in “Twin Peaks: The Return,” paid tribute to Del Rio on social media, describing the beauty and astonishing power of her voice and thanking her for the kindness and care she had shown.