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Roy Orbison
artist

Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison is a rock & roll artist from United States formed in 1960. 133 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.

Rock & Roll · United States · Best rock & roll albums

133
Releases
1956–2024
Active years
1960
Formed

Discography

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Mystery Girl cover

Most popular

Mystery Girl

1989 · 10 tracks

Singles & EPs

7

Live & compilations

66

Credits

1

Records Roy Orbison worked on for other artists — the roles are as credited on each release.

Appears on

1

Releases by other artists featuring Roy Orbison.

Featured tracks

1

Videos

4

Collaborators

1

Community

More about Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison at a glance

Born in
Vernon
From
United States
Active since
1954
Instruments
guitar, voice
Voice
baritenor
Member of
Traveling Wilburys
Labels
Mercury Records, Virgin Records, PolyGram, Sun Records, London Records, MGM Records
Educated at
University of North Texas, Paxon School for Advanced Studies
Former spouse
Barbara Orbison (1969–1988)
Children
Alex Orbison, Roy Kelton Orbison Jr.

Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Children listed are those with their own public record, so the list may be incomplete.

About

Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 - December 6, 1988) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country and western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis. His greatest success came with Monument Records between 1960 and 1964, when 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top Forty, including "Only the Lonely", "Crying", and "Oh, Pretty Woman". His career stagnated through the 1970s, but several covers of his songs and the use of "In Dreams" in David Lynch's Blue Velvet revived his career in the 1980s. In 1988, he joined the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne and also released a new solo album. He died of a heart attack in December that year, at the zenith of his resurgence. His life was marred by tragedy, including the death of his first wife and his two eldest sons in separate accidents.

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Orbison was a natural baritone, but music scholars have suggested that he had a three- or four-octave range. The combination of Orbison's powerful, impassioned voice and complex musical arrangements led many critics to refer to his music as operatic, giving him the sobriquet "the Caruso of Rock". Elvis Presley and Bono have stated his voice was, respectively, the greatest and most distinctive they had ever heard. While most men in rock and roll in the 1950s and 1960s portrayed a defiant masculinity, many of Orbison's songs instead conveyed a quiet, desperate vulnerability. He was known for performing while standing still and solitary, wearing black clothes and dark sunglasses which lent an air of mystery to his persona. Orbison was initiated into the second class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by longtime admirer Bruce Springsteen. The same year he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame two years later. Rolling Stone placed Orbison at number 37 on their list of The Greatest Artists of All Time, and number 13 on their list of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2002, Billboard magazine listed Orbison at number 74 in the Top 600 recording artists.

Roy Orbison in brief

How many Roy Orbison releases are on Riffiter?
133 releases are catalogued, spanning 1956 to 2024.
When was Roy Orbison formed?
Roy Orbison formed in 1960, in United States.
What genre is Roy Orbison?
Roy Orbison is catalogued under Rock & Roll.
What is the most recent Roy Orbison release on Riffiter?
A Cat Called Domino: Rare Cuts from Roy, released in 2024.
Does Roy Orbison have children?
Alex Orbison, Roy Kelton Orbison Jr. are children of Roy Orbison on public record.

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