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 and a pioneer of , 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 , 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.”

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  • CiumPwnage

    In dreams I walk with you In dreams I talk to you In dreams you're mine all the time With you ever in dreams, in dreams. =)

    Sunday morning

  • nitty_look

    I am in love with the voice of this man!!!

    10 days ago

  • daulkim

    Отличный мужик=) +1

    16 days ago

  • tahbyfet

    DAT FALSETTO

    26 days ago

  • Nakkinak

    post-rockabilly music

    last month

  • MrPsychedelia

    Yoko Ono style, but I like him.

    last month

  • Zephyrzhao

    First of all, his voice. Next, his song structure innovation(before him there were only verse and chorus in pop/rock music). Thirdly, his theme(before him, men weren't allowed to be emotional and personal in pop/rock music) Finally, his performance style (before him, standing still is considered weird). Those are the reasons Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitts, k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes, T.Bone Burnett, Jackson Browne, J.D.Souther are in his backing band in that 1988 concert, together.

    last month

  • Lovelycom

    Отличный мужик=)

    last month
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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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