Roy Orbison
| Roy Orbison | |
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Orbison in 1965
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Roy Kelton Orbison |
| Also known as | The Big O |
| Born |
April 23, 1936 Vernon, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 6, 1988 (aged 52) Hendersonville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1953–1988 |
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| Website | royorbison |
| Notable instruments | |
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed the Big O, was an American singer-songwriter and musician, known for his distinctive, impassioned voice, complex compositions and dark emotional ballads. The combination led many critics to describe his music as operatic, giving him the sobriquet "the Caruso of Rock". Between 1960 and 1964, 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top 40, including "Only the Lonely" (1960), "Crying" (1961), and "Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964).
Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly and country and western band in high school. He was signed by Sun Records in 1956, but his greatest success came with Monument Records in the early 1960s. His career stagnated in the 1970s, but was revived by several cover versions of his songs and the use of "In Dreams" in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet (1986). In 1988, he was a member of the Traveling Wilburys supergroup, along with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. He recorded his last solo album, Mystery Girl, the same year but died of a heart attack shortly thereafter.
While most male rock and roll performers in the 1950s and 1960s projected a defiant masculinity, many of Orbison's songs instead conveyed a quiet, almost desperate, vulnerability. His voice ranged from baritone to tenor, and music scholars have suggested that he had a three- or four-octave range. During performances, he was known for standing still and solitary, and for wearing black clothes and dark sunglasses, which lent an air of mystery to his persona.
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