Orbison, Roy, 1936-1988

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Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as operatic, earning him the nicknames "The Caruso of Rock" and "The Big O". Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male rock-and-roll performers chose to project machismo. He performed while standing motionless and wearing black clothes to match his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses.

Born in Texas, Orbison began singing in a rockabilly and country-and-western band as a teenager. He was signed by Sam Phillips of Sun Records in 1956, but enjoyed his greatest success with Monument Records. From 1960 to 1966, 22 of Orbison's singles reached the Billboard Top 40. He wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own Top 10 hits, including "Only the Lonely" (1960), "Running Scared" (1961), "Crying" (1961), "In Dreams" (1963), and "Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964).

After the mid-1960s Orbison suffered a number of personal tragedies, and his career faltered. He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s, following the success of several cover versions of his songs. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys (a rock supergroup) with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Orbison died of a heart attack in December 1988 at age 52. One month later, his song "You Got It" (1989) was released as a solo single, becoming his first hit to reach both the US and UK Top 10 in nearly 25 years.

Orbison's honors include inductions into the Rock and 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. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and five other Grammy Awards. Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on its list of the "Greatest Artists of All Time" and number 13 on its list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 2002, Billboard magazine listed him at number 74 on its list of the Top 600 recording artists.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Biography -- Orbison, Roy. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
referencedIn Southern Folklife Collection sheet music and song lyrics, 1852-1988 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.
referencedIn Center for Popular Music Vertical Files Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University
referencedIn Miller, Harry M. (Harry Maurice), 1934-. Papers of Harry M. Miller. Libraries Australia
referencedIn Southern Folklife Collection Artist Name File, 1940-2005 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.
referencedIn Amburn, Ellis. Ellis Amburn papers, 1916-2005, (bulk 1973-2000). Texas Christian University
creatorOf Orbison, Roy, 1936-1988. Les meilleures musiques de films [Multimédia multisupport] / Roy orbison, Max Steiner, Dolly Parton... [et al.], comp. ; Silver Screen Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Secret Service Orchestra. Bibliothèque nationale de France, BnF
referencedIn Montgomery, Marvin. Oral history interview with Marvin "Smokey" Montgomery, 1997 September 7. University of North Texas Library, UNT
referencedIn Colin Escott Collection Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Acuff-Rose Publications corporateBody
associatedWith Amburn, Ellis. person
associatedWith Dylan, Bob, 1941- person
associatedWith Harrison, George, 1943-2001 person
associatedWith Lynne, Jeff person
associatedWith Miller, Harry M. (Harry Maurice), 1934- person
associatedWith Montgomery, Marvin person
associatedWith Petty, Tom person
associatedWith Porter, Bill, 1939- person
associatedWith Sun records corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Vernon TX US
Subject
Occupation
Singers
Composers
Guitarists
Activity

Person

Birth 1936-04-23

Death 1988-12-06

Americans

English

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