Roy Orbison Artistfacts

Roy Orbison song list

Roy Orbison Artistfacts

Apr. 23, 1936-Dec. 6, 1988
Many people assumed Roy was going blind, but he was anything but. His trademark dark glasses he began wearing in 1963, just before a British tour with The Beatles. It happened by accident: when he misplaced his regular glasses, he wore the dark ones, which became his trademark.
Roy died of heart failure at his mother's house in Hendersonville, Tennessee on December 6, 1988. He was visiting family for the holidays while on break from the road.
He was a huge influence on many artists, including John Lennon, Mick Jagger, and Tom Petty.
His wife was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1966. Two years later, two of his sons died in a fire.
Elvis Presley and The Beatles both opened shows for Orbison early in their careers.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Along with Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and George Harrison, Orbison was a member of The Traveling Wilburys.
Roy's first American hit single was recorded in 1956 for Sam Philips' Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. Entitled "Ooby Dooby," it eventually made it into the Top 60 in 1956.
Orbison's hair was never naturally black. He merely dyed it that color to fit into his "Man In Black" image. Roy's hair was actually dark brown.
The "Roy Orbison Club," managed from her home in Harold Hill near Romford, Essex, UK, by Maggie Finch, ran from 1963 to 1978, the year of Maggie's husbands' death. >>
Suggestion credit:
Russtti - London, England, for above 3
Roy Orbison was a keen painter and made model aircraft to competition level. One of the last things he did on the day he died was fly his model airplanes. >>
Suggestion credit:
Marc - Liverpool, England
Music scholars have suggested that Orbison had a three- or four-octave range and his powerful, impassioned voice earned him the sobriquet "the Caruso of Rock." In fact it is claimed that The Big O and Enrico Caruso were the only 20th century tenors capable of hitting E over high C.

Comments: 8

Jo from Minot MaineHis music speaks to my heart
Gerry from Leeds.englandWas lucky enough to have seen roy live twice. There is never a day I do not listen to his music. Oh how I wish he was still here now. RIP roy.
Lorraine from Victoria, BcThank you for painting a picture of the life of Roy Orbison.
Janice Graves from West KirbyGreat man great voice. Play his music nearly every day whilst doing my chores. Never get tired of his voice. I wish he had looked after his health more so that we could have had him longer.
Bill from Ft. Myers, , FlMy favorite artist. I regret I never got to see him perform in person. I have 2 DVDs of his concerts. Gone much too soon.
Helen from Dubbo, AustraliaRoy Orbison is a legend!!
Kevin Whealan from Vine Grove, KyI thought that the End of the Line video after Roy had passed on was classy I think the whole Wilbury thing was an act of love for all involved and they were a super band as much as any top group
Alan from Singapore, SingaporeIn the video of "End Of The Line", Roy Orbison had already passed away. All the Wilburys are playing on a train and when it is Roy Orbison's turn to sing, the train goes through a tunnel and is in almost pitch black ness. All you see is a rocking chair with Roy Orbison's guitar in it, and a picture of him on the wall of the train next to Tom Petty.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

RehabAmy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse really did refuse "Rehab." She said she drank because she was lovesick, and "you can't go into rehab for that."

Bang!AJR

The voice is that says "here we go" in the AJR song "Bang!" belongs to Charlie Pellett, the announcer on the New York City subway ("stand clear of the closing doors, please").

Sloop John BThe Beach Boys

"Sloop John B" is a traditional West Indian folk song, and it was a huge hit for The Beach Boys in 1966. They tweaked the lyric, "This is the worst trip since I've been born" to "...I've ever been on" as a wink to acid culture.

Grazing In The GrassThe Friends Of Distinction

Grazing In The Grass by The Friends Of Distinction was the first big hit to use the phrase "dig it" in the lyric.

Cinnamon GirlNeil Young

Neil Young was married when he wrote "Cinnamon Girl," which clearly was not about his wife. He had a hard time explaining it to her.

Addicted To LoveRobert Palmer

The models in Robert Palmer's iconic "Addicted To Love" video were chosen in part because they couldn't play music, so they're all playing and moving to different rhythms.