Roy Orbison – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts
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Roy Orbison Biography
Roy Orbinson was an American singer-songwriter most known for his soaring voice, which was considered one of the most operatic in rock music, and for his beautifully written ballads of loneliness and heartbreak. Critics dubbed him “The Caruso of Rock” and “The Big O” because of his operatic style of music. At a time when most male rock-and-roll performers attempted to exude masculinity, many of Orbison’s songs communicated vulnerability. He stood immobile during the performance, dressed in black to match his dyed black hair and heavy sunglasses, which he donned to hide his timidity and stage fear.
Orbison was born on April 23, 1936, in West Texas. At the age of 13, he founded his first musical ensemble. He dropped out of college to pursue music, and he recorded “Ooby Dooby” in 1955 at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico, as a member of the Teen-Kings. It became his first hit when he re-recorded the song for Sam Phillips at Sun Records. However, Phillips’ attempts to make Orbison a rockabilly sensation were fruitless, and the bashful Texan (whose customary spectacles hid eyes the singer believed were beady) relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where he focused on creating songs for others, including the Everly Brothers‘ “Claudette.
Orbison, no longer constrained to up-tempo rockabilly tracks, began recording a series of iconic ballads for Monument Records in 1960. His individual style blossomed as he used his tremendous vocal range to create lushly orchestrated three-minute romances full of longing and anguish. Orbison had 22 singles in the Billboard Top 40 from 1960 to 1966. “Only the Lonely” (1960), “Running Scared” (1961), “Crying” (1961), “In Dreams” (1963), and “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) were among his Top 10 singles, which he authored or co-wrote (1964).
Orbison’s talent is exemplified by his song “Running Scared” (1961), a dizzy fantasy of romantic paranoia: As the singer frets that a fortuitous contact with his rival for his lover’s affections will cause her to leave him, the accompaniment and the singer’s voice get more tense. The opponent shows up, but the woman picks the singer, and the song concludes with a relief crescendo.
Orbison was one of the few American rockers to hold a high pop chart position during the British Invasion, with singles including “Only the Lonely” (1960), “Crying” (1961), “It’s Over” (1964), and “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964). Orbison had a dramatic comeback in the late 1980s, partially as a result of the use of his song “In Dreams” in the film Blue Velvet, after a series of personal tragedies and professional losses wrecked his career in the mid-1960s.
He joined the Traveling Wilburys, a band that included Orbison, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne, and their debut album, released in 1988, put Orbison back in the top ten for the first time since 1964. He also released a new solo album, Mystery Girl, which he considers to be his best in decades. Orbison died of a heart attack only a few weeks after the Wilburys’ CD was released. The single “You Got It” by Mystery Girl, which was released posthumously in 1989, stayed in the top ten for 18 weeks.
Inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014 are among Orbison’s many distinctions. He was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as well as five additional Grammys. He was ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone’s “Greatest Artists of All Time” list and number 13 on the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” list. In 2002, he was ranked 74th among the Top 600 recording artists by Billboard magazine.
Orbison died of a heart attack on December 6, 1988, at the age of 52, in his mother’s house.
Roy Orbison Discography
| One of the Lonely Ones | |
| King of Hearts | |
| Mystery Girl | |
| The Orbison Way | |
| There Is Only One Roy Orbison | |
| Orbisongs | |
| In Dreams | |
| Crying | |
| Roy Orbison at the Rock House | |
| Lonely and Blue |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Roy Orbison?
one of the most influential figures in music history. His trademark style, which combined smooth ballads and baritone vocals with a flair for the dramatic, perfectly encapsulated the spirit of classic rock and roll.
What Was Roy Orbison’S Last Hit?
“I Drove All Night” was Roy Orbison’s last hit. It was released in 1992, and went to number one in the UK. It was his only number one single in that country.
What Was Roy Orbison’S First Hit?
“Only the Lonely” was Roy Orbison’s first hit. It was released in 1960 and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written by Orbison and produced by Fred Foster.
How Many Number One Hits Did Roy Orbison Have In The Uk?
Roy Orbison had a total of 22 number one hits in the UK. These include “Only the Lonely”, “Running Scared”, and “Crying”. He also had a number of other chart topping singles, including “In Dreams”, “Oh, Pretty Woman”, and “You Got It”.
What Is Roy Orbison’S Signature Hit?
“Oh, Pretty Woman” is Orbison’s most well-known song and his signature hit. The ballad was released in 1964 and quickly reached the top of the charts, where it remained for three weeks. “Oh, Pretty Woman” has been covered by many artists over the years and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Most Searched For Roy Orbison Songs
| Oh, pretty woman | |
| It’s Over | |
| You got it | |
| In Dreams | |
| I drove all night | |
| Crying | |
| Only the lonely | |
| Penny Arcade | |
| She’s a Mystery to me |