- Born
- 23 April 1936, Vernon, Texas, United States
- First work
- 1956: Ooby Dooby
- Peak
- 1960 to 1965 (estimated)
- Last work
- 1988: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
- Died
- 6 December 1988, Hendersonville, United States; aged 52; natural
Roy Orbison
Music: singer, songwriter, guitarist, United States
Roy Orbison was an American singer and songwriter acclaimed for his operatic voice and emotional delivery. After early rockabilly sessions at Sun Records, he achieved international stardom during the early 1960s on Monument Records with melancholic ballads such as Only the Lonely, Crying, and In Dreams, followed by the driving rock classic Oh, Pretty Woman. Instantly recognizable by his dark sunglasses and impassioned delivery, he enjoyed a remarkable commercial resurgence in the late 1980s as a member of the Traveling Wilburys and with his solo album Mystery Girl. He died in Hendersonville near Nashville in 1988 at the age of fifty-two.
Who else was born on 23 April or who died on 6 December.
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Signature works
- Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) 1960
- Crying 1961
- In Dreams 1963
- Oh, Pretty Woman 1964
- You Got It 1989
Honours
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1998
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 1987
Groups: Traveling Wilburys.