Roy Orbison
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Vernon TX, United States (1954 – 1988)
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed “The Big O”, was an influential American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll, whose recording career spanned more than four decades. By the mid-1960s Orbison was internationally recognized for his ballads of lost love, rhythmically advanced melodies, three-octave vocal range, characteristic dark sunglasses, and sometimes distinctive usage of falsetto, typified in songs such as “Only the Lonely, “Oh, Pretty Woman”, and “Crying”. In 1989, he was inducted posthumously into the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Two common misconceptions about his appearance stubbornly continue to surface about Orbison: one, that he was an albino, and two, that he wore his trademark dark glasses because he was blind or nearly so. Neither is correct, although his poor vision required him to wear thick corrective lenses (He suffered from childhood from a combination of hyperopia, severe astigmatism, presbyopia, anisometropia, and strabismus). Orbison’s trademark sunglasses were a fashion statement arising from an accident early in his career. Due to go onstage in a few minutes, Orbison left his regular glasses in an airplane. Unable to see without corrective lenses, the only other pair of glasses he had available were darkly tinted prescription sunglasses. “I had to see to get onstage,” so he wore the glasses throughout his tour with the Beatles, and he carried on with it for the rest of his professional career. “I’ll just do this and look cool.”
Early life and career
Only the Lonely, “Oh, Pretty Woman”, and “Crying”. In 1989, he was inducted posthumously into the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Two common misconceptions about his appearance stubbornly continue to surface about Orbison: one, that he was an albino, and two, that he wore his trademark dark glasses because he was blind or nearly so. Neither is correct, although his poor vision required him to wear thick corrective lenses (He suffered from childhood from a combination of hyperopia, severe astigmatism, presbyopia, anisometropia, and strabismus). Orbison’s trademark sunglasses were a fashion statement arising from an accident early in his career. Due to go onstage in a few minutes, Orbison left his regular glasses in an airplane. Unable to see without corrective lenses, the only other pair of glasses he had available were darkly tinted prescription sunglasses. “I had to see to get onstage,” so he wore the glasses throughout his tour with the Beatles, and he carried on with it for the rest of his professional career. “I’ll just do this and look cool.”
Early life and career
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Shoutbox
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staths86 wrote:
the right is (1936-1988)
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AnthonyAkinshin wrote:
awesooooooooooome!
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aminalcollectiv wrote:
progressive rock pioneer... roy orbison more like boy this-is-goodison
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sbarcelo wrote:
mt bom ♥
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Slim_rafa wrote:
foda
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Enigmatic_Smile wrote:
Huge "Thank You" to my uncle who gave me a cd with Roy's songs when I was about 10 years old. I was growing up listening to such a beautiful music.
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bobandjean wrote:
he was one of the best rest in peace roy we love you
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Nintendoman64 wrote:
There is no better way to listen to Roy then to shut off the lights, plug in your headphones and enjoy. Absolute Bliss. I actually discovered him thanks to the film Blue Velvet and the song In Dreams. Now I have a load of his albums and memorabilia. Wish I could have seen him when he was alive, I can only imagine hearing his voice with your very own ears an amazing experience. RIP Dude.
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Wiracocha wrote:
Such a legend.
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Nakkinak wrote:
Post-Rockabilly
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extext64 wrote:
I heard In Dreams at the end of Alan Wake's first episode. 'tis a great song.
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CaptainLesgate wrote:
No pissing about with Roy, he was just pure 'stand and deliver'.
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PhilAbernethy wrote:
Orbison, though, transcended all the genres - folk, country, rock and roll or just about anything. His stuff mixed all the styles and some that hadn't even been invented yet. He could sound mean and nasty on one line and then sing in a falsetto voice like Frankie Valli in the next. With Roy, you didn't know if you were listening to mariachi or opera. He kept you on your toes. With him, it was all about fat and blood. He sounded like he was singing from an Olympian mountaintop and he meant business. One of his previous songs, "Ooby Dooby" was deceptively simple, but Roy had progressed. He was now singing his compositions in three or four octaves that made you want to drive your car over a cliff. He sang like a professional criminal. Typically, he'd start out in some low, barely audible range, stay there a while and then astonishingly slip into histrionics. His voice could jar a corpse. His songs had songs within songs. There wasn't anything else on the radio like him.
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barryvs wrote:
Absolutely inimitable.
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Pissisviss wrote:
Great voice!
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Nakkinak wrote:
his music was like this ___________________________________ ahead of its time
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markalvin wrote:
Amazing voice.
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FolxPunxForLife wrote:
Sun recordings <3
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Irenreinmerdok wrote:
Great!!!
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deadgrave wrote:
♥ You Got It ♥
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Just Announced: ROY ORBISON: THE MONUMENT SINGLES COLLECTION (1960-64)
9 Feb 2011 | from blog.myspace.com/royorbison
CELEBRATE THE 75th BIRTHDAY YEAR OF
ROCK & ROLL LEGEND ROY ORBISON....
WITH THE LONG-AWAITED MONO RELEASE OF....
ROY ORBISON: THE MONUMENT SINGLES COLLECTION (1960-64)....
…
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Just Announced: ROY ORBISON: THE MONUMENT SINGLES COLLECTION (1960-64)
9 Feb 2011 | from blog.myspace.com/royorbison -
9 Aug 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/royorbison -
9 Aug 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/royorbison
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