Early Life and Career

Roy Orbison was born on April 23, 1936 in Vernon, TeXas. He was the second son of Nadine Shults and Orbie Lee Orbison. In 1949 Orbison formed his first band called "The Wink Westerners", so named after the town he lived in, Wink in the county of Winkler, Texas. When he wasn't lead singing for is band he was playing guitar and writing new songs. The band played weekly for KERB radio in Kermit, Texas. After graduationg highschool and attending college in North Texas State University, he decided to go to college at Washington State University. The Wink Westerners became a television smash and aired weekly for half an hour on KMID and KOSA. While playing on the show, they met Johnny Cash. He advised them to sign on with Sun Records. Sun Records' Sam Phillips turned them down but changed his mind after hearing a recording they made at Norman Pettys studio in Clovis, New Mexico. The Wink Westerners were renamed "The Teen Kings". Roy Orbison left college in march in order to pursue his musical career. Orbison acheived his first hit with "Ooby Dooby" in June of 1956. He had a few hits throught the year of 1956, but soon it seemed his career had reached its end. Until Chet Atkins referred him to Fred Foster the owner of Monumental Records. He chose to go there when his contract with RCA had ended in 1959. His famous trademark jet-black sunglasses came about as a result of him leaving his clear prescription glasses on an airplane.

Breakthrough


In 1957 Orbison met Joe Melson, he like Joes' sound and asked him if they could write together. They had soon created something unknown to rock: the dramatic rock ballad. Roy's first recording "Uptown" was moderately succesful. But soon after his hit "Only the Lonely" came out, it topped the charts coming in at #2 in the U.S. and #1 in Europe. Roy Orbison was a major influence on such bands as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. In 1963 he headlined a European tour with The Beatles. But he eventually became the opening act. John Lennon joked the "The Beatles are tiried of opening for him" so Orbison agreed to switch. The fans greeted him with so much love that The Beatles were concerned they would not get to perform. Orbison became life-long friends with The Beatles, espcially John Lennon and George Harrison. Orbison later recorded with Harrison with The Traveling Wilburys. While on tour with The Beatles, Orbison encouraged them to tour the United States. Orbison toured with The Beach Boys in 1964, and with The Rolling Stones in Australia in 1965. He was successful in Britain, logging three No. 1 Hit Singles and was voted top male vocalist of the year several times.

Personal Life

Roy Orbison suffered a great deal of tragedy in his relatively short lifetime. His first wife, Claudette Frady, died in a motorcylce accident in 1966, and two of his three sons died in the fire that burned down the Orbison family home in Tenessee. Orbison met his second wife Barbara in 1968, they were wed in 1969 and built a house one block away from the burned down Orbison Family home. They had two sons together, Roy Kelton Orbison Jr., and Alexander Orbie Lee Orbison.They moved to Malibu, California in 1975.

Death

Roy Orbison died of a massive heart attack while visiting friend Jean Sheperd. He was declared dead at 11:54 p.m. December 6, 1988. On December 15, 1988 Orbison was buried in an unmarked grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetary.