Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 - December 6, 1988) was an American singer-songwriter.
Born in Vernon, Texas, he was raised in Wink, Texas. A pioneer, along with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley, who all recorded for Sam Phillips of Sun Records in Memphis in the early 50s, Roy Orbison would become an international rock and roll star. The development of his operatic voice and ensuing great success, came about after he left Sun Records when he worked under the guidance of Fred Foster at Monument Records.
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Throughout Orbison's stay at Monument Records in Nashville, Tennessee, his backup band was a group of all-star studio musicians led by Bob Moore, and it was the play of Orbison's amazing voice against the dynamic yet uncluttered sound of the band that gave Orbison's records such a unique, highly identifiable sound.
Orbison is remembered for his haunting ballads of lost love, sung in his powerful three-octave voice. Within the music community, he is revered for his song writing abilities, described by producer Don Law, writer Bernie Taupin (composer of all lyrics for Elton John) and others, as far ahead of the times, creating lyrics and music in a manner that broke with all traditions.
Roy Orbison’s vocal range was impressive; Elvis Presley called him "the greatest singer in the world". Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees referred to Orbison as the "Voice of God". Songwriter Will Jenkins ("My Heart Will Go On", from the Titanic soundtrack), called him a "poet, a songwriter, a vision".
A powerful influence on his contemporaries such as Led Zepplin and The Rolling Stones, in 1963 Roy Orbison headlined a European tour with the Beatles and encouraged them to come to America. He wrote and recorded several songs specifically for motion pictures. Many of his songs are part of motion picture soundtracks, the most famous of which is the film "Pretty Woman". Named for his song, the music was integral to the movie that brought mega-stardom to actress Julia Roberts. As well, his hit song "In Dreams" was used extensively in the David Lynch film Blue Velvet. A number of other artists have recorded songs written by Orbison, including the Everly Brothers, Don Gibson, Linda Rondstat and Van Halen.
Enormously popular in England, several times he was voted top male vocalist. His popularity extended to Germany and he recorded his hit song "Mama" in that language. In France he was viewed as the master of the ballad of lost love in the vein of that country's most popular singer Edith Piaf. Much loved in Belgium, at an awards ceremony there a few days before his passing, Roy Orbison gave his only public rendition of the hit "You Got It". Adopted by intensely loyal fans in Ireland, where he continued to perform despite the constant terrorist activities, his powerful rendition of the ancient Irish folk ballad "Danny Boy" on the 1972 "Memphis" album is considered one of the best recordings of this song ever made.
Described as a cinematographic masterpiece, a black and white Cinemax television special titled “Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night” brought Orbison a whole new generation of fans in 1987. Put together by musical director, T Bone Burnett Orbison was accompanied by a who’s who supporting cast. Male background vocals were: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther Steven Soles, and k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes, and Bonnie Rait sang background vocals.
Shortly after this critically acclaimed performance, Orbison joined Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty in the Travelling Wilburys to substantial commercial and critical success. He subsequently recorded a new solo album, Mystery Girl, produced by U2's Bono. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the induction speech made by his devout follower Bruce Springsteen.
His life was filled with personal tragedies. His first wife Claudette (Frady), died in a 1966 motorcycle accident. Two years later, the family home at Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee burnt to the ground and his two young sons, Anthony and Roy Jr., lost their lives in the fire. These tragedies profoundly impacted his life but after a few years he would continue to play to loyal audiences all across the globe. Tragedy would strike again, when, in 1973, Orbison’s elder brother and his only sibling, Grady Lee Orbison, died in a motor vehicle accident while driving to visit Roy at his home.
Roy Orbison died of a heart attack on December 6, 1988 before his last album You Got It could be released. Both the album and the single from it, "You Got It", were hits, and are generally regarded as Orbison's best work since his success of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1992, the popular "I Drove All Night" and "Heartbreak Radio" appeared on the posthumous album, King Of Hearts, produced by Jeff Lynne.
He was also well known in the much smaller world of radio-controlled model airplanes as a champion modeler and flier.
Roy Orbison is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Los Angeles, California.
Chris Isaak, a successful performer of blues-rock from the 1980s and 1990s, was a fan who opened for Orbison on some of his tours. Isaak is noted for the uncanny resemblance of his singing voice to Orbison's.
Discography of some of his most popular hit singles:
- "Ooby Dooby" -- 1956
- Uptown -- 1960
- "Only The Lonely" -- 1960
- "Running Scared" -- 1961
- "Crying" -- 1961
- "Dream Baby" -- 1962
- "In Dreams" -- 1963
- "Blue Bayou" -- 1963
- "Pretty Paper" -- 1963
- "It's Over" -- 1964
- "Oh, Pretty Woman" -- 1964
- "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again" -- 1980 (Duet with Emmylou Harris)
- "You Got It" -- 1989
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