Roy Orbison: "The greatest singer in the world"
Learn more about Roy Kelton Orbison, the man who was once described as "the greatest singer in the world" by Elvis Presley.
There is no mentioning Rock and Roll in the 50s and 60s without the name Roy Kelton Orbison!
The star was born on 23 April 1936 in Vernon, Texas.
His father played a big role in his music career. He reportedly gave him a guitar as a present at the age of six.
'A Vow of Love' was the first song Roy penned down. He wrote the song at the mere age of eight.
At the age of 13, he formed his own band, The Wink Westerners, in 1949.
In fact, Elvis Presley called him "the greatest singer in the world".
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Roy he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
In 1960, he joined Monument record label.
One of his first songs that became a major hit, 'Only the Lonely', reached No. 2 spot on the Billboard singles chart.
In 1964, he released 'Pretty Woman', which topped charts in the UK and US.
One of his iconic shows was Black & White Night Concert in 1988. He performed his famous song, 'Oh, Pretty Woman', backed by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Tom Waits, KD lang, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, JD Souther, T Bone Burnett, Steven Soles, and Jennifer Warnes.
He sadly died on 6 December 1988.
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Image courtesy of YouTube screenshot.
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Image courtesy of YouTube screenshot.
Image courtesy of YouTube screenshot.