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Born on This Day in 1936, the Rock Legend Who Made Us Cry for a Living and Formed a Supergroup With Bob Dylan and George Harrison
On this day (April 23) in 1936, Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, Texas. Over the years, he made a name for himself as a singer and songwriter. He first found fame in the 1960s with a series of classic hits. He then experienced a career resurgence in the late 1980s. Near the end of his life, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne.
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Orbison was ten years old when he wrote his first song, “A Vow of Love,” according to his biography. That song won a contest, landing him a weekly show on a local radio station. A year later, he tied for first place in a talent contest with his renditions of “Mountain Dew” and “Jole Blon.”
Orbison’s family relocated to Wink, Texas. It was there, at the age of 13, that he formed his first band. The Wink Westerners quickly gained steam, landing regular radio spots, paying local gigs, and a spot on a tour. After high school, he performed with a band called the Teen Kings and recorded a handful of singles that failed to find chart success. His recording career finally took off in 1960 when “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)” reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.
Roy Orbison Was a Songwriter First
Before he was a hit recording artist, Roy Orbison was a songwriter. He wrote “Claudette” in 1958. The Everly Brothers cut it and took it to No. 30, giving Orbison his first taste of success.
The hit landed him a spot on the Acuff-Rose roster, where he continued to hone his skills. As the 1950s drew to a close, he wrote “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel).” He tried to pitch the song to Elvis Presley but never got the chance. Then, he pitched the song to the Everly Brothers, who were already working on new material and weren’t looking for songs.
At the time, he had just inked a deal with Monument Records. So, he chose to record the song himself. Released in 1960, it became his first hit single.
Orbison’s Recording Career
Roy Orbison found his first No. 1 in 1961 with “Running Scared.” Other early hits included “Crying,” Candy Man,” and “Blue Angel.” The tales of love and heartbreak in his lyrics, coupled with the emotional depth of his vocal delivery, set him apart from other male artists at the time. He wasn’t afraid to show a soft, sad side to the world.
In 1964, Orbison was back at No. 1 with “Oh, Pretty Woman.” It was his last major hit before his popularity began to falter.
He went years without landing a hit. At the same time, he was dealing with serious health issues. In the late 1970s, he underwent open-heart surgery.
In 1980, he teamed with Emmylou Harris for “That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again.” It reached the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and won a Grammy Award. Later in the decade, his songs appeared in films like Insignificance and Blue Velvet, re-igniting interest in his catalog. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The next year, he formed the Travelling Wilburys along with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynn, and Tom Petty. The album he recorded with them went to No. 9 on the Billboard 200. It topped the charts in the UK, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand. The album’s singles, “Handle With Care,” “End of the Line,” and “Heading for the Light,” were hits on the US Mainstream Rock chart and charted well internationally.
Roy Orbison’s Planned Comeback
As the 1980s neared their end, Roy Orbison was poised for a comeback. Mystery Girl would be the album that put him back on the map in a big way. He started recording the album in 1977 and finished it in November 1988. Unfortunately, Orbison died a month later, on December 6.
It was a smash hit, topping charts around the world and reaching No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The album’s lead single, “You Got It,” topped the Adult Contemporary chart and reached No. 9 on the Hot 100.
Bruce Springsteen explained why Orbison’s legacy is immortal during his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech. “He had the ability, like all great rock and rollers, to sound like he dropped in from another planet and yet get the stuff that was at the heart of what you were livin’ in today,” the Boss said. To close the speech, he added, “In 1975, when I went into the studio to record Born to Run, I wanted to make a record with words like Bob Dylan, that sounded like Phil Spector’s productions, but most of all, I wanted to sing like Roy Orbison. Now, everybody knows that nobody sings like Roy Orbison.”
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