• Apr. 23, 1936-Dec. 6, 1988
• Many assumed Roy Orbison was going blind, but he could see just fine. 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.

More Songfacts:

If I Could Turn Back TimeCher

Cher was 43 in 1989 when she landed one of her biggest hits: "If I Could Turn Back Time." It made her an unlikely MTV star thanks to a video shot on the battleship USS Missouri where she's entertaining the troops in fishnet stockings and a thong.

KashmirLed Zeppelin

"Kashmir" is the only Led Zeppelin song to use outside musicians, as it needed strings and horns.

Ms. JacksonOutKast

The "Ms. Jackson" in the OutKast song is Erykah Badu's mother. Andre 3000 had a child with Badu, and felt she was portraying him as a lousy dad.

St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)John Parr

"St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" was not written for the movie, but for Rick Hanson, a wheelchair athlete whose 1985 "Man In Motion" tour logged 24,856 miles on his wheelchair in 34 countries while raising $26 million for spinal cord research.

Flying Without WingsWestlife

A live, stripped-down version of "Flying Without Wings" by the Irish boy band Westlife was the first #1 on the Official UK Download Chart. It was recorded in May 1994 at The Globe, Stockholm.

Down UnderMen at Work

Often heard as a patriotic song celebrating their homeland of Australia, "Down Under" by Men At Work is really about the selling of that country, and it makes a strong political statement.

Editor's Picks

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Music Video Director David HoganSong Writing

David talks about videos he made for Prince, Alabama, Big & Rich, Sheryl Crow, DMB, Melissa Etheridge and Sisters of Mercy.

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.